Thread: What are you working on?

Paul-Jerry speaks truth on the Tru Oil; he and Outback Mike poured the Tru-Oil kool-aid for me, and I drank it right down; have done a few scales and brushes in it now-love it!

Jerry-I get where you are coming from on these super-stiff strops, especially some of the treated ones that are so hard you don't even want to run razors over them (at least I don't). I got a few sections of ultra-stiff fire-hose a few years ago. Steam-ironing the wrinkles out of it only swelled the fibers and made it like concrete. My solution was to put heavy duty horse-tack type hardware on it, treat one side with .5 diamond spray and the other side with CrOx crayon, and use it for knives. A few years of that and it's soft and supple as you can see in the pic.

Most will soften up with use as the fibers loosen up, though it seems like that would be a challenge with the chalk-treated ones. Personally, I like really soft linen components. I got some of that greenish linen component someone mentioned that Randy Dance was distributing. Soft as butter, it's my go-to post-shave linen, with one side treated with CrOx for touch-ups.

Originally Posted by Gasman

Tom, the fabric is so stiff Im a little afraid of it. Ive been cutting back on the amount of laps i do on it. Stiff and course. The leather on the 827 is more like the soft side. A little fury. Just a bit different than what Im used too.

My plan is to use it for right after the honing to help clean up the edge before going to a nice strop. Any comments?

I just thought that I'd throw this older conversation into the current one--

https://sharprazorpalace.com/strops/...-thoughts.html

Good call, Roy! Seems Glen is filling in-between with chalk? I don't like this stuff at all. I put my poly firehose on my Illinois.
Still zippy, much friendlier, IMO.


Still....Betcha 'Us' and our 'feelings' have something to do with this.
Using it like it is and seeing what happens would be interesting?

As some of us have found--

What works for one

May not work for another

What one enjoys

Another may hate

I think that's why 'experimenting' is important--that is to a point of diminishing return.

The truth, Roy. God's Honest truth!

Trying that Super Blue to try to bring back the acid etch on this Wade and Butcher wedge which I over cleaned before I knew better. It's a learning curve.

The 3k w/d is still too course so I decided to try plain paper. I decided to use an envelope because the paper was heavier and a little courser than printer or writing paper. I used some white buffing compound on it which seems to work well. I'm not there yet but this process seems to work well although very slow.

Stop where you are, Bruv. If you want to save the etch and sand to highlight the etch. the etch is gone. Trust me.
I know! This one was Masonic. I managed to obliterate it.......Had to keep going!

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Stop where you are, Bruv. If you want to save the etch and sand to highlight the etch. the etch is gone. Trust me.
I know! This one was Masonic. I managed to obliterate it.......Had to keep going!

Advice well taken and heeded. All I'm doing now is buffing off the high part and trying to get the shade even. I'm using plain paper on a dowel and going slowly and carefully. I know. At some point though it can still be ruined. Thanks Tom.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

You know seeing that sanding block reminds me. I was planning on making one like it but cleaning the garage yesterday I came across this tapping block I used doing some wood flooring.

It has two different step heights.

I am planning on some rare earth magnets but I'm using it the way it is for the moment.

I got one of those. It never crossed my mind. I made my block. Go figure I had one in the drawer.

Thanks for the link, Roy. After reading that thread it seems to me that a lot of time working/rolling it is what is needed to soften it up. Breaking down the stuff in the middle that is like plastic or glue.

So shaun was right in the begginning. As far as the Kanayama goes, its no where near the same material. Ive used that one stiff and also broke in. Its a nice material. I think this Illinios will be nice after it gets worn down a bit.