Do you lap your balsa strop periodically?

[Slash McCoy]

You should!

I have a couple I have used for about three years and never gave them much thought. I just got some .1u diamond paste so I bought new balsa, and sandpaper to flatten and smooth it up to my standards. Just thinking I ought to also sand down past the dents and dings in my old balsa strops, I started on them and noticed from the sanding wear pattern that my old balsas were warped, bowed, dished, twisted, adn just mashed up in general. From now on I will lap my balsa flat once a year. Yeah I know I know... it wastes diamond paste, but I want a nice flat balsa for my post-shave edge maintenance stropping.

BTW, the .1u barely makes a difference, but it does make SOME difference. I might try it on some "femto-cloth". (old cotton t-shirt) stretched over wood.

 

[Legion]

I found if the balsa was too thick it can swell or shrink in weird ways, I guess depending on the climate and season. Keeping the balsa thin, and glueing it to a stable base seems to solve the problem.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I found if the balsa was too thick it can swell or shrink in weird ways, I guess depending on the climate and season. Keeping the balsa thin, and glueing it to a stable base seems to solve the problem.

Yeah I did that once, and then realized that I had turned my two sided balsa into a one sided balsa by glueing one side to the board!

Some of the damage to the balsa surface was clearly from wear and accidental dings and dents.

Maybe next time around I will get some thin sheet balsa and sandwich it around some of that resin impregnated composition wood flooring. It seems like it would be very stable.

 

[Legion]

Yeah I did that once, and then realized that I had turned my two sided balsa into a one sided balsa by glueing one side to the board!

Some of the damage to the balsa surface was clearly from wear and accidental dings and dents.

Maybe next time around I will get some thin sheet balsa and sandwich it around some of that resin impregnated composition wood flooring. It seems like it would be very stable.

Sure, most hardwoods are stable enough for our purpose here. I use Tasmanian oak, but you can make it as fancy or as simple as you like. Although I understand you wanting to keep it two sided, having it one sided reduces the likelihood of the underside getting damaged during use, and you can add little non-skid feet if you want to sit it on a table.

 

[voodude]

Hi all, I have heard some stuff on Balsa for use as a strop. I have some diamond paste and was thinking about trying Balsa. So do I just go to a local hobby store and buy some thick balsa and put the paste on it?? and strop away??? any where I can get some more info on using Balsa?? Maybe a video somewhere??
Thanks

 

[Legion]

As we were saying above, it will stay flatter if you get thin balsa and glue it to something more stable.

 

[cb91710]

Is flatness on a balsa strop important? Our hanging strops are far from flat.

 

[Alum of Potash]

I have a vintage "tri-hone"-style stropping mechanism with two pieces of balsa--one with red paste and the other with black. Both are scored along the length. Following this, I am inclined to lightly score my pasted balsa strops along the length with a utility knife, at about 1/8" apart. I believe this may help relieve wood-swelling variability, which has been an issue with the other balsa strop I have used.

 

[rickboone1]

I have a vintage "tri-hone"-style stropping mechanism with two pieces of balsa--one with red paste and the other with black. Both are scored along the length. Following this, I am inclined to lightly score my pasted balsa strops along the length with a utility knife, at about 1/8" apart. I believe this may help relieve wood-swelling variability, which has been an issue with the other balsa strop I have used.

id like a pic

 

[Alum of Potash]

How about three? This is how it looked upon receipt (and how it still looks for the moment):

.

Closest thing I have seen to it in modern vintage is the following, available from Royal Shave--again scored as to the balsa, with the leather backed with red felt:

.

 

[Bird_Flu]

Interesting. That certainly seems like it would let the wood expand and contract a little easier.

 

[Legion]

Is flatness on a balsa strop important? Our hanging strops are far from flat.

You have no way of controlling how the wood might swell. So in might be higher in the middle than the edges, or the other way around, or who knows. The channels in the strop above are an interesting idea.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Is flatness on a balsa strop important? Our hanging strops are far from flat.

True, but our hanging strops are not loaded with an abrasive substance. The leather merely smooths and burnishes. The diamond cuts. Also, if the balsa strop is cupped, it could be missing the middle of the blade somewhat. Since I can MAKE it flat, I WANT it flat. I want the best possible combination of tools and methods at my disposal. A nice new balsa block, freshly flattened, seems to do a great job for me. A little warpage, and it still works after a fashion, but not quite as good. Just my observation.

 

[hokahay]

I found if the balsa was too thick it can swell or shrink in weird ways, I guess depending on the climate and season. Keeping the balsa thin, and glueing it to a stable base seems to solve the problem.

I bought these and lapped them before I pasted them. Like you describe and a reasonable price. Easy to lap.


http://shop.starshaving.com/product.sc?productId=4&categoryId=6