Problem with La Lune strop?

[Shaun asleep]

For those who haven't followed my recently painful posts about honing and thought that wasn't embarrassing enough I present you a picture of my La Lune strop.
I've been using it like this, even though I have had the feeling that the ridges on the sides were higher than the actual leather.
Now I usually shave and strop in the morning. Not being awake enough to realise this strop probably isnt doing anything, other than tempting my blade to dig itself into the sides.

The leather is also quite stiff, adding to the problem.
Is this a design fault or am I missing something?

Edit: it's not the blade, I have this on all my SR.

 

[Fordfather]

Is the strop cupped, or is it thinner in the middle?

 

[Shaun asleep]

The sides, which appear to be some kind of finisher for the leather edges are higher than the center part.

 

[Fordfather]

Leather conditioner and a rolling pin.

 

[Shaun asleep]

Hi,

No native English speaker. Would you mind explaining what a "rolling pin" is?

Cheers!

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Hi,

No native English speaker. Would you mind explaining what a "rolling pin" is?

Cheers!

it's a tool for rolling out dough. There are a few different types.

This one, which is tapered (French style), works well for putting a subtle crown in the strop. I used one of these on the last cowhide strop I made, to compress the edges. If you moisten the strop with a sponge it will help shape it.

Also, when you're using the strop, you can grasp it by the edges in order to encourage it to cup the other direction, even if it has a handle.

 

[Shaun asleep]

I'll try that, thanks.

I was thinking that if this doesn't work I could just try a de razor to go along the edges. I still have a back-up strop, so if it can't be mended, who cares?
The back-up is just a narrow paddle strop though, not my first choice in width but the leather is alot nicer (softer).

 

[LJS]

Just flex the leather so it is convex instead of concave. Its leather - you can shape it

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

Ink the bevels of your razor and do a lap on the strop, see where and if it is removing ink, touching the strop.

The strop looks stamped, (logo, and the edging. When any material is rolled/stamped the material must go somewhere, so it pushes up next to the indentations. Feel the leather over the logo stamp, it will be much higher than the rest of the strop.

Rolling it with a rolling pin will not help unless you re-hydrate the leather, if that is real leather, maybe composite leather. Hard to say from a photo, perhaps someone like Tony Miller can better comment on the photo.

You can soften the leather by hydrating it with oil, dampen the strop with a damp sponge, wait about 10-15 minutes and add oil. I use Olive oil, dip a folded clean paper towel into about a teaspoon of oil and wipe/blot on to the leather front, edges and back.

Then wait 8-24 hours to let the oil penetrate the leather, the water from the damp sponge will open the pores to allow the oil to deeply penetrate the leather. Do not add too much oil too quickly, or the leather can rot.

Get the rolling pin, buy a cheap one from a dollar store or thrift store.

Hang the rolling pin from above with a couple pieces of para cord, I use my garage door. Re-dampen the strop, wait a few minutes and gently roll the strop on the hanging pin, slowly ben the strop around the pin.

If you feel the leather fibers cracking, STOP. Re hydrate add another tablespoon of oil wait a day or two and try again. It may take several applications to get the strop hydrated enough where you can bend the fibers and not break them and get the strop to bend in a U. It may take several rolling attempts, bending a little more each time. If you break the fibers, the strop surface will be uneven and can even tear in half.

I have an old ¼ inch thick Certifyed Russian strop that was as hard as a board when I got it and is now as floppy and soft as an old well washed stock. Hydration and oiling, it did take weeks of hydration, oiling and rolling to get to the stage it is in now.

While all this works, the quality of the strop determines the quality of the “Final Finish” of the razor edge before it touches your face. So, remove all doubt, and buy a Quality linen and leather strop. You can spend hours honing and perfecting the bevel and edge, only to trash all your hard work on an inferior or dirty strop in a single lap.

Tony Miller sells affordable, great entry level strops, and more importantly, sells replacement linen and leather. All his strops are handmade from quality goods, his Flax and Hemp linen strops are game changers.

Stropping and the Quality of the strop face is way, way under-rated.

Below is my rolling pin set up, rolling a Flax linen firehose. Firehose when wet get as stiff as a board, note how floppy this damp strop is.

 

[duke762]

I've had really stiff strops soften up just by flexing the leather. I've had strops break, just by flexing the leather too much.

I also really hate over oiled strops. It's a fine line. A drop rubbed on your hands and then rub and knead the strop with your thumbs. Be sure to use too little oil and knead it in until your hands are tired. Flex it in every direction, flex those edges downward. Flex and knead for a days and judge your progress. If it's not satisfactory, repeat the process. There is no fast fix for this.

Tony Miller turned me on to a Tandy leather burnishing tool. It's the bee's knee's. Four inch square glass with rounded edges. It would be ideal for you to work your strop edges down. On a flat, hard, surface, with a little tilt on the burnisher and the pressure you can apply with it is just the thing.

 

[Shaun asleep]

Tandy leather burnishing tool.

When I Google this it looks like a kind of grinding wheel?
Perhaps my miniature Dremel tool could be useful as well,it has polishing wheel. I did already try the Rolling pin, and it seems to have worked to some extend. Will get some sadle polish today to soften up the leather. But I understand I should apply very little.

Thank you!

 

[Darth Scandalous]

When I Google this it looks like a kind of grinding wheel?
Perhaps my miniature Dremel tool could be useful as well,it has polishing wheel. I did already try the Rolling pin, and it seems to have worked to some extend. Will get some sadle polish today to soften up the leather. But I understand I should apply very little.

Thank you!

I think the burnisher he is talking about is just a piece of glass, it smooths and compresses the grain.

You shouldn't need any leather treatment on a new piece like that. Just moisten it with water (I like to use a sponge) and then work it. If it starts to dry out you'll need to re-wet it. Once it dries it should hold its shape. Might take a few sessions since it's presumably already been worked. Once you're satisfied with the result you can decide whether or not it needs any leather conditioner or oil. But I would guess not.

 

[Tony Miller]

I think the burnisher he is talking about is just a piece of glass, it smooths and compresses the grain.

I think the burnisher he is talking about is just a piece of glass, it smooths and compresses the grain.

Yes, just a thick glass plate with nice rounded ends. Makes a wonderful too to compress the grain and burnish the surface.

 

[Tony Miller]

I don't like to comment on other maker's strops, but it looks cupped which can happen to any strop, no matter the maker so do not take this as a criticism. Mine can do the same and some of my rough-cut blanks will come off the hide like this and get some work to get them flat or slightly convex rather than concave before I continue work on them. Once in a while a completed strop will do this too.

I lay them along the edge of a table and flex and coerce then to the shape I want, let them sit, do it again and eventually they give up their own will and conform to mine LOL.

I am not a fan of oiling them and just gently, but forcibly mold them the way I want and usually they stay that way but occasionally need a reminder down the road.

The skin side and the flesh side seem to absorb moisture in the air differently and much like wood can expand and contract differently making one side grow and cause the cupping. The loose grain, flesh side seems to take on the moisture faster and expand a bit.

 

[Shaun asleep]

I don't like to comment on other maker's strops

I can certainly appreciate that. Also thanks for your input on a strop from another vendor. I'm half way around the planet, I'm not aware of anyone in the EU selling your strops. If there is, do let me know!

I had already tortured mine. Applied some leather crème then dented it in the other direction with force and rollend it like that. It ended up with small "creases", but it's also alot softer and more pliable.

Possibly what @H Brad Boonshaft warned me about with cracking fibres?
If I go over the strop with my hand it feels ok. I think I can detect them when I'm stropping. Maybe another treatment with the Rolling pin or some extra use will sort that out, or is it toast?

 

[LJS]

It ended up with small "creases", but it's also alot softer and more pliable.

Those undulations are from being overworked in the wrong direction, perhaps over flexed in too tight of a radius. They are not cracks judging from the picture. I don’t think undulations like that cause any issues with stropping razors, but I personally cannot stand them. Sometime they are natural in leather and hard to get rid of. If yours were caused by overworking or overflexing the wrong direction, they often can be pressed out. A leather jack is a pro tool for that, but you can do it with a glass slicker or even glass bottle sometimes. I prefer to do it with cased leather (been moistened properly) but you could cause more harm than good trying to wet the leather if you are not sure what you are doing, so maybe try it dry first. Lay the strop on a flat hard surface - a polished stone countertop is great. With pressure, roll or press with a thick but smooth glass bottle. Back and forth back and forth like working bread or pastry dough. They can often be pressed out this way.

 

[Frank Shaves]

Regarding the Tandy glass burnisher, I found these links:

Glass Burnisher

This trusted, beveled glass burnisher helps compress the grain side of leather after casing to create a more uniform surface for carving, dyeing, forming, or creasing. Simply case your leather normally and then drag the glass across the grain side of the leather. This action will compress the...

tandyleather.com

 

[Tony Miller]

Those undulations are from being overworked in the wrong direction, perhaps over flexed in too tight of a radius. They are not cracks judging from the picture. I don’t think undulations like that cause any issues with stropping razors, but I personally cannot stand them. Sometime they are natural in leather and hard to get rid of. If yours were caused by overworking or overflexing the wrong direction, they often can be pressed out. A leather jack is a pro tool for that, but you can do it with a glass slicker or even glass bottle sometimes. I prefer to do it with cased leather (been moistened properly) but you could cause more harm than good trying to wet the leather if you are not sure what you are doing, so maybe try it dry first. Lay the strop on a flat hard surface - a polished stone countertop is great. With pressure, roll or press with a thick but smooth glass bottle. Back and forth back and forth like working bread or pastry dough. They can often be pressed out this way.

I agree.

Two ways to get these, rolling over something of small diameter with the skin side inner most "breaks" the skin from the fibers below, as the firmer skin compresses, the fibers stretch but once straight they are no longer the same length. In my experience it results in these smoother, undulating wrinkles

Or, rolling over something of small diameter with the skin side out causes the skin to stretch and once flat again it winds up with tiny micro wrinkles as the surface does not return to normal. I just returned my European bridle for this reason as the entire surface had these micro wrinkles. and was rolled way too tightly, skin side out.

Some leathers are far more prone to this than others and I have had the most issues with soft surface leather like bridle or latigo. Veg tanned horse and steer seen a bit more resistant but how tightly (the diameter) they are rolled over is the biggest factor.