Slightly Warped Strop?

[GlassEye]

I received a new StarShaving "Big Daddy" strop in chestnut leather, last week, which seems quite nice (though I have nothing for comparison). My problem is the leather stropping surface is slightly warped so that it is convex, such that only the middle of the blade makes contact unless an x-stroke is used. Is there any easy way to flatten this without ruining the finish of the leather?

Thanks all,
GlassEye

 

[Tony Miller]

I actually find a slight convex shape on a strop to be an advantage if an X or even a sweeping motion is made while stropping provided the high center is not too high. A higher center does flatten a bit over time and will be much more resistant to cupping (concave). Usually the unfinished, rougher back side of a strop will absorb more moisture or humidity that the front, skin side (especially if the front is dressed with oils), and the back then tends to expand a bit, cupping the front.

With a gentle sweeping motion the entire edge will contact the surface over various spots from bottom left to upper right on the upward pass and opposite on the return.

Being a natural material a flat leather strop is only going to stay flat for so long then it will inevitably move, usually the wrong way, skin side in and cup. The high center is a workable solution and buys more time in my opinion.

I'd contact Star about flattening if the high center still bothers you as you don't want to damage the surface and they will probably have their own suggestions based on the leather they use. I know from experience not every method suggested here on the forums works for every leather type and you don't want to damage a nice strop. Latigo is pretty forgiving, Bridle leather not so much, etc.... of bending in different directions.

Tony

 

[GlassEye]

Thanks, I will try the sweeping motion for a while and see how that works for me.

 

[Slash McCoy]

You can influence the cupping or reverse cupping with how you hold the handle end. Press up from underneath with a knuckle to correct a cupped strop. Press downward with the thumb in the middle for your problem. This is one reason "barber ends" are preferred by some users. But you can still do it even though you have a D ring on the end. Which can be removed, by the way.

You could try about 50 laps on the strop with a water glass or smooth bottle after each shave. That will help, eventually.

 

[Alum of Potash]

I have a Big Mamma, and the stropping surface is very slightly convex. I really like the thing, although I leave it slightly slack and use X-strokes. Perhaps the idea is to avoid cupping, as Tony suggests, and which might contribute to cutting the edge of the strop.