Cotton canvas vs synthetic webbing

[matt321]

Just wanted to tell someone about this interesting stropping result I recently experienced. One of my favorite razors is a Solingen full hollow that my wife bought at an antique shop a few years ago. I like it because even when I first started honing I was able to get it to shave really well.

A week ago I noticed it wasn't shaving in it's rotation like I know it can. So I started working with it and test shaving it daily. Oddly, I couldn't get it back to that "fresh DE-like edge" that it had before. First, I tried a little stropping on loaded strops. Then I went back to hones trying Shaptons and also Naniwas. Finally I used my last resort, diamond lapping film. The results after each of these attempts was a shave ready edge, but not the smooth and sharp edge that I knew was possible.

Then one day in frustration I grabbed the TM Cotton canvas and horse strop and gave it about 50 laps on the canvas. Before this I had been using a strop with a synthetic webbing because I thought it was more gentle on the edge. After about 50 laps on the cotton canvas and horse leather I noticed a dramatic improvement. The next day I used the same strop and now the razor is back at its peak performance.

I was just amazed at this result. I wouldn't claim for a minute this one strop is better than my others, but for some reason it was just the trick for this razor. I had gotten away from the cotton canvas and apparently that was a mistake for this razor at least. So I will be bringing that strop back into daily use now to see if my other razors prefer it.

 

[gary haywood]

I use the same strop i don't care vfor the webbed stuff the cotton is good but the tm linen realy is good and makes the differance. i have litigo and horse hide tm. My horshide gets better the more i use it , it seemed to have a little draw now.

 

[danjared]

Yeah, I don't think I've really heard good things--probably only neutral comments at best--about the synthetic webbing. Webbing is great for harnessing and securing things, not stropping.

 

[huntmol]

Agreed. Not sure why webbing for strops is such a popular idea, seems like a very poor stropping material

 

[wuff]

Seem's on SRP that many like synthetic webbing and have good things to say, it has not been my go too I prefer linen/cotton. I own many strops and my synthetic is collecting dust, in fact I have considered selling it. Perhaps I will use it exclusivly for one month and if I still feel the same it's going to the BST.

 

[wuff]

Agreed. Not sure why webbing for strops is such a popular idea, seems like a very poor stropping material

It's probably due to the fact that it can be easily sourced and is inexpensive.

 

[mparker762]

Agreed. Not sure why webbing for strops is such a popular idea

Keep in mind that many (most?) guys don't believe that the linen side does anything at all and consequently only use the linen side perfunctorily if at all, if they even bothered to get a double-sided strop to begin with.

 

[Huxley]

I have a line linen and bridle leather strop, the more i use the linen the more i love it, really does a good job of bringing the edge out after a good hone, i take it easy with the laps as im still learning so im gradually increasing the number of laps.

From what i feel it doesn't so much sharpen more tames the edge after a good honing, if i don't use the linen i get to see the edge roughness on the leather looks like a scratch of sorts as there are clearly burrs still on the edge.

A superb and much underrated material.

 

[Bayamontate]

I like synthetic webbing on Shefflields and linen on Solingens. Totally subjective but both have their uses.

 

[Bertilak]

Just wanted to tell someone about this interesting stropping result I recently experienced. One of my favorite razors is a Solingen full hollow that my wife bought at an antique shop a few years ago. I like it because even when I first started honing I was able to get it to shave really well.

A week ago I noticed it wasn't shaving in it's rotation like I know it can. So I started working with it and test shaving it daily. Oddly, I couldn't get it back to that "fresh DE-like edge" that it had before. First, I tried a little stropping on loaded strops. Then I went back to hones trying Shaptons and also Naniwas. Finally I used my last resort, diamond lapping film. The results after each of these attempts was a shave ready edge, but not the smooth and sharp edge that I knew was possible.

Then one day in frustration I grabbed the TM Cotton canvas and horse strop and gave it about 50 laps on the canvas. Before this I had been using a strop with a synthetic webbing because I thought it was more gentle on the edge. After about 50 laps on the cotton canvas and horse leather I noticed a dramatic improvement. The next day I used the same strop and now the razor is back at its peak performance.

I was just amazed at this result. I wouldn't claim for a minute this one strop is better than my others, but for some reason it was just the trick for this razor. I had gotten away from the cotton canvas and apparently that was a mistake for this razor at least. So I will be bringing that strop back into daily use now to see if my other razors prefer it.

As an experiment, try posting the same thing on Straight Razor Place http://www.straightrazorplace.com/forums/

 

[Tony Miller]

Part of the varied response is as M Parker says, many people rarely use cloth anyway so are not tuned into just how well it can work when properly used. The other issue is just what the cloth is...."linen is better than synthetic, etc".... well, it depends on what the "linen" really is, depends on what the "synthetic" really is.

"Linen" has become the generic term for the cloth side of the strop no matter what it is made from. On most strops available today one has to guess. Some Dovo's seem to be using hemp, I think Illinois bills theirs as "Linen Finish" which could be linen or something that is finished like linen. It also has a hard finish on it that changes how it feels. I have used smooth cotton, a coarse cotton, a soft cotton, a genuine linen and a synthetic nylon. The cotton often used comes in many different weaves and feels...coarse, fine, hard, soft, etc.....

Synthetic....it can be polyester webbing, it can be nylon webbing.

So when we like or dislike "linen" just what is it we like or dislike? Linen? Cotton? or using the cloth side itself?

By not using a common language, or being specific to what fiber the cloth is makes it even harder to compare whate we like for the cloth side of the strop...or if we even like the cloth side of the strop.

I myself like genuine linen and any cotton that has a bit of body to it. Too thin and pliable a cloth does not work as well for me and I just feel the synthetic are too 'fast" and slippery feeling, even though they seem to work. I also like the feel of the cloth on the better Dovo/Jemico strops and think one of the smaller models of the Jemico is using a synthetic as well.

Tony

 

[wuff]

Removed!

 

[huntmol]

By not using a common language, or being specific to what fiber the cloth is makes it even harder to compare what we like for the cloth side of the strop...or if we even like the cloth side of the strop.

+1000

Proper terminology is key. Often people in the brush forum will use broad terms like 'Silvertip' to make generalizations, even though it's used by dozens of different companies to describe their specific type of brush hair.

 

[huntmol]

Also since many are sharing their preference, my 'Linen' preference is TM Smooth Cotton pasted with Dovo White

 

[danjared]

Right, there is much variation in material and virtually no standardization in terminology. Even when the material is fully disclosed, the weave and other fabric characteristics rarely are. (This is also true of the leather component. I might consider using a leather strop--given that the right factors would make them more appealing in my eye than synthetic--if I knew how, where and from whom the leather was sourced, but that's another hairy set of questions.) Then again, I'm one of those people who read all the ingredients in everything I buy...

 

[Tony Miller]

Dan,

Are there specific leather qusetions you have?

Some disclosure becomes and issue of proprietary information.....most dealers (me included) are not going to say too much about who supplies their leather or cloth as by next week everyone will be selling the same thing. I searched hard to find each of my materials and would not just want to hand them over to the "copytition"

I will say Latigo can come from the USA, Mexico or India and most USA supply houses offer all three as each has it's own unique characteristics. The USA tanned hides may not always be the best for certain products. Horsehide at this point is all coming from the USA but is not easy to get all the time. Bridle leather will vary with each tanning house and is usually USA supplied but I am not sure where it is tanned.

Tony

 

[danjared]

Sending PM.

Dan,

Are there specific leather qusetions you have?

Some disclosure becomes and issue of proprietary information.....most dealers (me included) are not going to say too much about who supplies their leather or cloth as by next week everyone will be selling the same thing. I searched hard to find each of my materials and would not just want to hand them over to the "copytition"

I will say Latigo can come from the USA, Mexico or India and most USA supply houses offer all three as each has it's own unique characteristics. The USA tanned hides may not always be the best for certain products. Horsehide at this point is all coming from the USA but is not easy to get all the time. Bridle leather will vary with each tanning house and is usually USA supplied but I am not sure where it is tanned.

Tony

 

[richmondesi]

I really like the Poly weave strop. From a performance standard, it is excellent IME.

 

[holli4pirating]

I really like the webbing on the SRD strops - whatever type of webbing that may be. Aside from the results, which are excellent, there is the added bonus that you can totally remove whatever paste you may choose to put on. You can't do that with "linen."

 

[RayG]

I own and have gotten good results with Tony's genuine linen, vintage cotton, and SRD's nylon weave. In the end, it's what works for you that matters.