My issue was that my Latigo just felt really slick. Seemed to have almost no draw to it.
From some of what I've read it seems that what is added to the leather in the tanning process might be what is really causing the metal to get worked. Since these strops are vegetable tanned, that pretty much means it's leather and some wood elements soaked in.
So, I took my pastry roller (I think a thick dowel rod would be equivalent) and stroked the strop with that, as I do with my palm before stropping. It quickly added great draw to the strop, and didn't take much effort at all. I assume this is equivalent to using a piece of pumice, but I figured some of what I am rubbing the strop with is going to stick, like the oils (if not some skin) from my palm, or some particles from the pumice. Since wood was what made the raw leather into a Latigo strop, I thought this might make sense. I also thought it could only help to keep the strop from cupping, as the roller is straight, and I hold it perpendicular to the strop as I rub the strop with it. (I am using straight, as opposed to X-pattern, strokes now. So, in this case, as Luc said, the X-pattern turned out to be an unnecessary skill to obtain, thankfully.)
Anyway, just like that, I went from a strop that was shiny and slick to a strop with some great draw to it.
I also have a completely different opinion of the seatbelt-like polyester strap it has. I now use that strap more than the strop. I like to do 20 to 40 on the polyester, and then 20 very thoughtful (more slow and careful) laps on the strop.
Also, my new stropping technique is a little outside-the-box from what I have read. I have a little slack in the strop. It's straight, for the most part, but I am not trying to put my weight into tensioning it, as before. Also, I definitely add more pressure than just the weight of the blade. I am careful and consistent, and the pressure is really to the spine as the edge follows, but it is definitely some pressure. Really the pressure on the spine to the strop is roughly the same as the pull, or tension, I give to the strop. Also, my strop is hung high, and is close to vertical when I strop. This was the most comfortable position for me to create an even feel and grip in both directions.
I now think of the strop as analogous to a chef's steel. I worked as a cook for some years, and had all my own equipment. I also had the sharpest knives in the kitchen (which is why this has been and incredibly frustrating/humbling journey with the razor honing). Each day before using a culinary knife, I use a steel. But I never do more than about 10 laps on a steel. I am careful, making sure to focus on the angle and pressure of each stroke. Using a steel for a 100 laps doesn't make sense to me. Those who taught me said the fine edge is already there and it doesn't take much to line it up using the steel. The steel doesn't take metal from (sharpen) the knife. It is a softer metal, and only bends the fine edge. If the fine edge is there, it doesn't take much to make it straight. If it's not there, excessive use of the steel won't fix the problem.
Before, with the strop, I was doing about 100 laps each time. Now, thinking that the strop is like a steel, I do a lot fewer.
Similarly, the polyester strop I use like I use my ceramic steel before using the regular steel on culinary knives. With culinary knives, the ceramic steel can fix very minor problems when, after a few laps on the steel, the edge isn't quite there, but a full sharpening session with my stones may still be avoidable. I hope, as time goes on, the polyester strop provides this same service.
Why am I posting these modifications? Finally, after much frustration, both my razors are splitting hairs again. That means, this stuff is working for me. It has been a trial of experimentation for over a month, during which time I had to resort to the disposables.
Maybe what I'm doing sounds (or is) crazy, and, so, I don't want to recommend any of it to anyone if it could damage your goods. For me, I am very happy with my results, and felt that this was something that I should share.
My assumption at this point is that everyone, to some degree, is probably finding slightly different methods that work best for them. I guess if I could travel back to meet myself when I started all this and give myself some boilerplate advice, I would say there really isn't much to give aside from spine first on the strop.
The rules I tried to follow (holding the strop really tight, fearing any slack could result in an overhoned edge, only using the weight of the razor, and getting 100 laps in on the strop) didn't all work for me, and I didn't get my edge back until I had the nuts (or went nuts) and broke some of them. Luckily, I didn't break the bank on the strop or the razors, and will continue to update as my opinions and technique continue to flounder. I hope they don't, but, if that's what it takes to split hairs, then that's how it's going to be.
I'd love to hear what anyone has to say on what I'm doing, but I'd like even more to hear about the areas where other members have strayed from the prescribed course to get their edges back. Most advice I've found on stropping seems to be the same in a lot of ways, regardless of how many places I have gone to find it, and I think hearing about other customizations, even if it only works for one person, would be really helpful. I'd also like to know if you had the opportunity to travel back and give yourself some boilerplate advice, something that could be picked up from just a statement, as opposed to a couple months' experience, what would you say? Or would you say that advice like that doesn't really exist?
From some of what I've read it seems that what is added to the leather in the tanning process might be what is really causing the metal to get worked. Since these strops are vegetable tanned, that pretty much means it's leather and some wood elements soaked in.
So, I took my pastry roller (I think a thick dowel rod would be equivalent) and stroked the strop with that, as I do with my palm before stropping. It quickly added great draw to the strop, and didn't take much effort at all. I assume this is equivalent to using a piece of pumice, but I figured some of what I am rubbing the strop with is going to stick, like the oils (if not some skin) from my palm, or some particles from the pumice. Since wood was what made the raw leather into a Latigo strop, I thought this might make sense. I also thought it could only help to keep the strop from cupping, as the roller is straight, and I hold it perpendicular to the strop as I rub the strop with it. (I am using straight, as opposed to X-pattern, strokes now. So, in this case, as Luc said, the X-pattern turned out to be an unnecessary skill to obtain, thankfully.)
Anyway, just like that, I went from a strop that was shiny and slick to a strop with some great draw to it.
I also have a completely different opinion of the seatbelt-like polyester strap it has. I now use that strap more than the strop. I like to do 20 to 40 on the polyester, and then 20 very thoughtful (more slow and careful) laps on the strop.
Also, my new stropping technique is a little outside-the-box from what I have read. I have a little slack in the strop. It's straight, for the most part, but I am not trying to put my weight into tensioning it, as before. Also, I definitely add more pressure than just the weight of the blade. I am careful and consistent, and the pressure is really to the spine as the edge follows, but it is definitely some pressure. Really the pressure on the spine to the strop is roughly the same as the pull, or tension, I give to the strop. Also, my strop is hung high, and is close to vertical when I strop. This was the most comfortable position for me to create an even feel and grip in both directions.
I now think of the strop as analogous to a chef's steel. I worked as a cook for some years, and had all my own equipment. I also had the sharpest knives in the kitchen (which is why this has been and incredibly frustrating/humbling journey with the razor honing). Each day before using a culinary knife, I use a steel. But I never do more than about 10 laps on a steel. I am careful, making sure to focus on the angle and pressure of each stroke. Using a steel for a 100 laps doesn't make sense to me. Those who taught me said the fine edge is already there and it doesn't take much to line it up using the steel. The steel doesn't take metal from (sharpen) the knife. It is a softer metal, and only bends the fine edge. If the fine edge is there, it doesn't take much to make it straight. If it's not there, excessive use of the steel won't fix the problem.
Before, with the strop, I was doing about 100 laps each time. Now, thinking that the strop is like a steel, I do a lot fewer.
Similarly, the polyester strop I use like I use my ceramic steel before using the regular steel on culinary knives. With culinary knives, the ceramic steel can fix very minor problems when, after a few laps on the steel, the edge isn't quite there, but a full sharpening session with my stones may still be avoidable. I hope, as time goes on, the polyester strop provides this same service.
Why am I posting these modifications? Finally, after much frustration, both my razors are splitting hairs again. That means, this stuff is working for me. It has been a trial of experimentation for over a month, during which time I had to resort to the disposables.
Maybe what I'm doing sounds (or is) crazy, and, so, I don't want to recommend any of it to anyone if it could damage your goods. For me, I am very happy with my results, and felt that this was something that I should share.
My assumption at this point is that everyone, to some degree, is probably finding slightly different methods that work best for them. I guess if I could travel back to meet myself when I started all this and give myself some boilerplate advice, I would say there really isn't much to give aside from spine first on the strop.
The rules I tried to follow (holding the strop really tight, fearing any slack could result in an overhoned edge, only using the weight of the razor, and getting 100 laps in on the strop) didn't all work for me, and I didn't get my edge back until I had the nuts (or went nuts) and broke some of them. Luckily, I didn't break the bank on the strop or the razors, and will continue to update as my opinions and technique continue to flounder. I hope they don't, but, if that's what it takes to split hairs, then that's how it's going to be.
I'd love to hear what anyone has to say on what I'm doing, but I'd like even more to hear about the areas where other members have strayed from the prescribed course to get their edges back. Most advice I've found on stropping seems to be the same in a lot of ways, regardless of how many places I have gone to find it, and I think hearing about other customizations, even if it only works for one person, would be really helpful. I'd also like to know if you had the opportunity to travel back and give yourself some boilerplate advice, something that could be picked up from just a statement, as opposed to a couple months' experience, what would you say? Or would you say that advice like that doesn't really exist?
