I bought Soligen Razor Strop. It doesn't have a cotton side. Does this mean I stop on the rough side first and then switch to the smooth side?
No cotton side on my strop
- Thread starter gregory56
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You could if its not too rough.
Post a picture if you can.
If it is rough and you cant post a photo you can sand the rough side with 600 W/D to get rid of any nubs and fluff.
Rub really good with a cotton cloth so no abrasive is left and use that first if you want before the leather.
Post a picture if you can.
If it is rough and you cant post a photo you can sand the rough side with 600 W/D to get rid of any nubs and fluff.
Rub really good with a cotton cloth so no abrasive is left and use that first if you want before the leather.
- Thread starter
- #3
Good suggestion on the sanding it down. Do I need to use the "cotton equivalent" or can I just always strop with the smooth leather side?
You can just use the leather.
Many do just that and never use an alternative.
Many do just that and never use an alternative.
The fabric component is not "required". I like it and feel that it dries/cleans the edge before going to the leather, but that's just my belief, not proven fact.
The leather component is where the magic happens. That's the treated side (smooth). I'd skip trying to use the unfinished side, though you could clean it up and use it if you desire. Totally your call.
But, the magic happens on the smooth side.
The leather component is where the magic happens. That's the treated side (smooth). I'd skip trying to use the unfinished side, though you could clean it up and use it if you desire. Totally your call.
But, the magic happens on the smooth side.
I never use the linen piece.
It's fine to just use the smooth leather side.
One of the main features of a “Linen” strop is to clean the bevels of the razor so all the stuff that accumulates on the razor, skin, soap, blood, rust and metal, all abrasive is cleaned onto the linen and kept off of your finish strop, the leather.
But some vintage linen is very good at not only cleaning but aggressively polishing the bevel and refining the edge especially vintage Flax linen. There are some new makers using Flax linen, but and be difficult to sources, just the linen.
The problem with vintage linen is that it much be washed and washed well, it can take a few days to get it really clean, the cleaner the better.
The good news is almost any “linen”, flax, cotton, nylon and polyester strapping will work, they all will clean and polish, some very well. You can buy cotton, nylon and polyester strapping in 2-inch width from most fabric stores for a few dollars, about $5 per yard.
A couple D rings, and rivets and you have a nice “linen” strop. Later when you up grade, you can paste your old linen.
Here are a couple interesting micrographs taken by Tim Zowada of an edge stropped on linen only. Note in the second photo how the very edge and the bevel just below the edge are more polished. These results are just from stropping on unpasted linen.
The razor is one of Tim’s at 64 HRC and stropped with light pressure. The photo width is the equivalent of a human hair.
Linen is way under rated.
But some vintage linen is very good at not only cleaning but aggressively polishing the bevel and refining the edge especially vintage Flax linen. There are some new makers using Flax linen, but and be difficult to sources, just the linen.
The problem with vintage linen is that it much be washed and washed well, it can take a few days to get it really clean, the cleaner the better.
The good news is almost any “linen”, flax, cotton, nylon and polyester strapping will work, they all will clean and polish, some very well. You can buy cotton, nylon and polyester strapping in 2-inch width from most fabric stores for a few dollars, about $5 per yard.
A couple D rings, and rivets and you have a nice “linen” strop. Later when you up grade, you can paste your old linen.
Here are a couple interesting micrographs taken by Tim Zowada of an edge stropped on linen only. Note in the second photo how the very edge and the bevel just below the edge are more polished. These results are just from stropping on unpasted linen.
The razor is one of Tim’s at 64 HRC and stropped with light pressure. The photo width is the equivalent of a human hair.
Linen is way under rated.
You dont really need the cotton or linen strop. Leather alone will be fine.
