You don't have to do all of the to the canvas. IIRC he posted that after a customer claimed that the canvas chipped the edge of one of his razors, so I think more than anything Takeshi made that post just to cover himself.
Can you pls explain the difference between these two?
- Thread starter KrstGor
- Start date
I am spoiled with English linen on my Westerholme strop. I dont think I can use anything but, now...
Damn... I have become a stropping cork sniffer!
Damn... I have become a stropping cork sniffer!
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Just looked at the 90k- never heard of it until just now. For $295, I think they can soften the canvas for me.....just saw the laundry list of things they want you do 3x before even using the canvas. For the money, I’d rather use the denim strop I made by hand and forgo this little process. This is from their page-
=====How To Make Softer Canvas Strop=====
It is kind of hard work, but if you will try to do it, please do like below:
Put on body soap (solid one), and wash it away
Put on the canvas strop on the wood board, and pounding with wooden hammer on the round portion of the wood hammer side to kill the tough fibers.
Washing by brush
Rubbing solid body soap
Washing by brush
Wrapping by Nagura to polish the surface of the canvas strop
Washing by washing machine
Drying at shade a couple days
Putting on body soap by brush
Wrapping by beer bottle strongly
Please do the all above processes three times
For $300, I want that already done
HAHAHA! I feel your pain, but then it would cost twice as much! Better to simply offer the strop without secondary, with only D ring on each end, and you provide your own secondary or they sell separate secondary mounted in its own hardware.
Still, the Kanayama 90k is possibly the finest strop currently manufactured. I would end up removing the secondaries, and not bothering with the treatment at all. In fact I just ordered a 40k and when it gets here, the canvas will be dispensed with, maybe mounted with its own hardware to stand alone. I hate dangly secondaries. Don't like them, don't use them, don't need them.
I wish I had kept my suede component. I gave it away but I think it would make an excellent material to clean and dry a blade after shaving. Plus it’s fun to strop on.
Wow, what did I miss ? Been busy with my garden more than the forum this past week 
Since asked I suppose I can reply here but always best to just send a message or email and I will gladly give any product details or advice needed.
The Notovan has a light to medium draw and is thinner and more supple. The steerhide is faster and thicker and a fairly stout strop. Veg tanned horsehide will be similar to the steerhide in sturdiness and thickness but even faster. In all honesty a beginner is going to damage their first strop and is usually best with something inexpensive.
With pricing on any product, strops or others, remember that a legitimate business, whether basement or big box, is typically paying a good third to half of net to Uncle Sam in income and social security taxes, not all of that $$ goes in mine or any businessman's pocket.
Thanks guys for the endorsements.
Since asked I suppose I can reply here but always best to just send a message or email and I will gladly give any product details or advice needed.
The Notovan has a light to medium draw and is thinner and more supple. The steerhide is faster and thicker and a fairly stout strop. Veg tanned horsehide will be similar to the steerhide in sturdiness and thickness but even faster. In all honesty a beginner is going to damage their first strop and is usually best with something inexpensive.
With pricing on any product, strops or others, remember that a legitimate business, whether basement or big box, is typically paying a good third to half of net to Uncle Sam in income and social security taxes, not all of that $$ goes in mine or any businessman's pocket.
Thanks guys for the endorsements.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #46
@Tony Miller thanks so much. I was the thread starter and I've got some truly valuable info from a lot of guys here.Wow, what did I miss ? Been busy with my garden more than the forum this past week
Since asked I suppose I can reply here but always best to just send a message or email and I will gladly give any product details or advice needed.
The Notovan has a light to medium draw and is thinner and more supple. The steerhide is faster and thicker and a fairly stout strop. Veg tanned horsehide will be similar to the steerhide in sturdiness and thickness but even faster. In all honesty a beginner is going to damage their first strop and is usually best with something inexpensive.
With pricing on any product, strop or others, remember that a legitimate business (like mine), basement or big box, is typically paying a good third to half of net to Uncle Sam in income and social security taxes, not all of that goes in mine or any businessman's pocket.
Thanks guys for the endorsements.
Your last post nails it and I really appreciate it. I think your prices are totally acceptable, I've no problem with that.
For me, it's much more important that I know I am buying a quality product, from a reputable vendor and judging by posts and comments here, you definitely are one
. For me that's all that matters.Advice taken - for further info, etc better to email you. Thanks.
Just looked at the 90k- never heard of it until just now. For $295, I think they can soften the canvas for me.....just saw the laundry list of things they want you do 3x before even using the canvas. For the money, I’d rather use the denim strop I made by hand and forgo this little process. This is from their page-
=====How To Make Softer Canvas Strop=====
It is kind of hard work, but if you will try to do it, please do like below:
Put on body soap (solid one), and wash it away
Put on the canvas strop on the wood board, and pounding with wooden hammer on the round portion of the wood hammer side to kill the tough fibers.
Washing by brush
Rubbing solid body soap
Washing by brush
Wrapping by Nagura to polish the surface of the canvas strop
Washing by washing machine
Drying at shade a couple days
Putting on body soap by brush
Wrapping by beer bottle strongly
Please do the all above processes three times
For $300, I want that already done
I completely agree with that. At that price I shouldnt have to spend a week or so just making the canvas useable. With that said however, the rest of the strop is good enough to make that not seem like such a negative.
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
As @David ssid, you don’t have to soften it. I prefer to, but I just threw mine in the washing machine with a load of towels with fabric softener on ‘hand wash’. This will cause it to shorten about 1”, though you can hang it with weights on it while it dries.
You can also rub the surface with a 325-600 diamond plate a little (not much!) to raise a nap and soften the surface.
You can also rub the surface with a 325-600 diamond plate a little (not much!) to raise a nap and soften the surface.
If you have an old dog with no teeth, maybe give it to them as a chew toy for awhile?
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Kanayama inbound. I will solve the problem of whether or not to treat the secondary by simply removing it and not putting it back. Secondaries. Meh. Nothing they can do that leather can't do. Except survive a few cycles in the washing machine and some brisk wire brushing.
Yes I don't think it hurts the razor, at least not when I tried, but I just hate a hard canvas. The way it sounds and feels.
Even with a firehose strop, the one pair I bought, once you soaked it and it released some crap it became much softer.
This is my contraption for drying the stuff after wet so it doesn't shrink.
I add a small dumbbell to the bottom and since the string was cutting into the canvas I am now using a piece of lego. Fits perfectly in the hole.
Yeah the feedback is ferocious out of the box but it settles down after time. I like the Kanayama canvas a lot but my daily user is an old piece of real linen from Tony. Most coticule users will put real linen between the stone and leather, and for good reason IMo.
I cant imagine it could be any worse then the nylon stops SRD were selling back in the day... I hated those things! But I learned how to strop on one, so there ya go...
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
Which one did you get?
I think that you’ll like it, they’re more supple than most strops yet the draw is pretty fast on most of them.
Here’s my 80000 that I bought used about 7-8 years ago, never had any dressing or oil put on it, and I stopped hand rubbing it since that only made it dirty, and stropping on salty skin oil and dead skin didn’t seem good to me. It’s polished like a mirror.
Clearly your years of neglect have ruined it. Send it to me and I'll destroy it for you.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
I bought a new 40k from Takeshi, (AFramesTokyo) it was $155. I also have a side of Shinki Hikaku shell cordoban inbound that I intend to make a couple strops from, for comparison. I actually don't care for the clamshell fittings very much. I like a D ring on each end, no secondary. I usually like chicago screws but since this is only 4oz - 5oz, I will maybe sew instead. The thing is, it's all about the leather. The body is the dog. The hardware is just the waggly tail. You don't think "replace the body piece" when it is 99% of the value of the strop, you think replace strop. So I will likely sew bolsters on permanently, foided through big heavy D rings. But no matter how much I like what I make, I will still have a Kanayama. Who knows how much longer these will be available, brand new, at any price?
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
That’s why I have multiples.
I’m the opposite, I like clamshell, especially the vintage decorated clips. And barber ends.
Viva la difference!
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
You couldn’t resist rubbing it with bacon, Lol.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Nooooooooooooooo!
As with all things in life money, beauty etc. it is all in the eye of the beholder.
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