Linen strop

[Lord Fatboy]

Was that improvement felt during shaving or just seen via the loupe?

Bob

I think so. I didn't notice at the time, and I'd killed the razor in question and honed it again before I thought back 'hmm, that razor got better every time I stropped it'. I need to do more experimenting with that linen. It's only 2 1/2 inches and my usual is 3 inches.

 

[R181]

I think so. I didn't notice at the time, and I'd killed the razor in question and honed it again before I thought back 'hmm, that razor got better every time I stropped it'. I need to do more experimenting with that linen. It's only 2 1/2 inches and my usual is 3 inches.

OK, I was wondering as I threw 20 laps on English/flax linen after the leather for todays shaves. I really did not notice much if any improvement in the shave. One go at it neither proves or disproves anything though.

For tomorrow's shave I have done 12 laps on a felt hanging strop sprayed with crox after the leather. We will see what happens, if anything, then.

Bob

 

[Salv]

Hi Chaps
being new to straight shaving i am finding this topic very intersting and being enlighten.

Sonny

 

[MichaelS]

Sonny, welcome to the dark side!

 

[Salv]

Where can one buy English/flax linen, Latino and nylon webbing strop

 

[MichaelS]

Any straight razor vendor but if you're new you may wish to try second hand first as strops are easy to damage....why not put a 'Want to Buy' in the Buy, Sell, Trade section?

PS I think 'Latino' should be 'Latigo', a type of leather, but all leathers are good

 

[JamieM]

Where can one buy English/flax linen, Latino and nylon webbing strop

I have a nice quality premium Horsehide strop for sale with cotton linen canvas in the BST section. The only reason I'm selling is I have three other strops.

 

[Lord Fatboy]

My strop is the Parker 3 inch but it needed a good few hours of burnishing the handles etc to make it pretty

I have a nice quality premium Horsehide strop for sale with cotton linen canvas in the BST section. The only reason I'm selling is I have three other strops.

That is a good deal.

 

[Lord Fatboy]

Never tried a nylon strop, are they the stropping equivalent of nylon shave brushes, great performance but limited 'heritage'?

I keep coming back to my Kanayama cotton strop, luv it. Many put them in the washing machine to break in; I just worked it with my fingers...

I've looked at Kanayama from afar - it's not so much out of my price range (though it is at the moment), it's more out of my price range for a single purchase - though I did think of getting the Kanayama suede component.
Nylon... we have a complex relationship
I got my everyday strop (Parker Latino n Nylon) 'cos I'd used a bunch of nylon belt to experiment with 'hoodoo' hones and it's really really good for holding diamond compounds and CrOx etc, but as a second component it's, it's just OK. I'm going to replace the nylon component of the strop with duck cotton soon, and might add a bit of suede.

The leather just keeps getting better on a weekly basis - not a bad strop for 60 euros - though I had to dress the edges and condition / oil / 'burnish' the leather on the non-stroppeable areas to make it look handsome, and feel comfortable in the hand.

 

[Lord Fatboy]

OK, I was wondering as I threw 20 laps on English/flax linen after the leather for todays shaves. I really did not notice much if any improvement in the shave. One go at it neither proves or disproves anything though.

For tomorrow's shave I have done 12 laps on a felt hanging strop sprayed with crox after the leather. We will see what happens, if anything, then.

Bob

I never thought of using linen after leather - I'm gonna try it.

 

[R181]

I never thought of using linen after leather - I'm gonna try it.

Today I did the shave where I used the hanging felt strop with sprayed crox after the leather. Again it was only on go but it just may have given an improvement to the edge. I'll have to try it a few more times.

Bob

 

[MichaelS]

OK, I was wondering as I threw 20 laps on English/flax linen after the leather for todays shaves. I really did not notice much if any improvement in the shave. One go at it neither proves or disproves anything though.

For tomorrow's shave I have done 12 laps on a felt hanging strop sprayed with crox after the leather. We will see what happens, if anything, then.

Bob

Bob, I think the Kanayama cotton strop (of the type as possibly used by Iwasaki?) may be more abrasive than English linen. My un-pasted Kanayama cotton is getting dark streaks from metal removal (faint but noticeable + makes a loud noise), while I haven't noticed this on my silky Neil Miller linen (although it might be harder to see on linen).

But I am getting a noticeable improvement with un-pasted Kanayama cotton after leather having put a further three razors through the process. The experiment continues!

 

[JayGee]

Learning a lot from this thread, thanks all.
Have a fresh piece of nylon/polyprop webbing, I will try that with CrOx.

I've wanted to keep abrasive pastes well away from my daily use strop, the poly idea for CrOx is one I have to try.

 

[R181]

Learning a lot from this thread, thanks all.
Have a fresh piece of nylon/polyprop webbing, I will try that with CrOx.

I've wanted to keep abrasive pastes well away from my daily use strop, the poly idea for CrOx is one I have to try.

Remember to wipe the blade clean after using the crox strop so you do not contaminate your other strops.

Bob

 

[JayGee]

Remember to wipe the blade clean after using the crox strop so you do not contaminate your other strops.

Bob

Will do Bob, appreciate the reminder.
I'll run the blade under hot water and wipe carefully with tissue, I really don't want that stuff cross-contaminating my clean leather/ linen, cheers.
Jon