Strops, pastes and confusion

[Trubert]

So I've started with straights and like it. I got a strop. Having read around a bit, and seen that leather needs care, I got some strop balm (beeswax from the smell) and non-abrasive conditioning paste. As far as I can tell, the yellow paste does the same as the balm, i.e. just looks after the leather. Does moisturising the leather have a significant effect on stropping?

I had pretty terrible technique at first (wasn't holding the strop quite tight enough), but think I'm mostly over that. A few laps on a 3000/8000 waterstone sorted out the minor mess and I've not done it again. Now getting pretty good at stropping before my shave.

I'm now trying to work out how to get the best out of strops. I can't see anything that gives clarity on whether to use the rough 'suede' side of my strop (i.e. the flesh side), though looking at the strop edge it's got two layers so presumably the reverse is intended for stropping use. Is this like using a canvas/webbing strop?

I'm also thinking that I want to use pastes to touch up the edge every few months rather than risk going to the stone too often. And here's where it gets confusing:

- is there a consensus on using the smooth leather face side of strops, the rough leather side, or canvas/webbing for pastes?

- there are literally dozens of pastes / crayons etc, and I know you need to stick to one product on a treated strop and that I want at least one untreated strop for regular use. Should I prefer the harder/smoother leathers for the untreated strop, the softer/paler leather in the strop linked above for untreated, or what?

Thanks in advance for advice; I don't want to splurge on a Tony Miller until I understand this better. Though I do ultimately want to splurge on one of his strops, they look beautiful...

 

[Twelvefret]

Like you, I am relatively new to using a SR. I found a little used Illinois Horse and Linen, two piece, strop. It's the only strop I own. After honing and before shaving, I do so many laps on the linen followed by horse hide. I do not use the rough side of the horse hide.

Like barbers of old, I rub my arm on the strop to get some body oil on the leather. I have also used lather on the leather then allowed it to dry before using.

Those Miller strops are well respected and Mr. Miller appears to be an exceptional maker.

 

[Boz]

After a shave I rinse and dry the razor then 20 laps on linen, to finish drying the razor then 30 laps on leather. Before a shave 15 laps on linen then 30 on leather. The lap counts are only estimates.
I sometimes use a paddle strop with CrOX paste to refresh the edge.

 

[dundak]

Buy a Herold 57RI it has fine red paste on one side and is a ready to go solution. They can be found for around $30 if you shop around. Work well for maintaining an edge. The opposite side is plain leather that can be used as is or treated with CrOx, Herold Black paste or TI white paste. I have kept razors going on this setup for hundreds of shaves. You can make your own out of balsa, old strops etc but this a a nice fire and forget solution that does not break the bank.

 

[mrlandpirate]

Trubert
A few laps on a 3000/8000 waterstone sorted out the minor mess
most would not think that shave ready try reading this for how to maintain a razor Newbie Honing Compendium
happy shaves

 

[Trubert]

Trubert
A few laps on a 3000/8000 waterstone sorted out the minor mess
most would not think that shave ready try reading this for how to maintain a razor Newbie Honing Compendium
happy shaves

Thanks for the tip though I'm happy enough on the hone front for now - passes the arm hair test, and as sharp as the refurbed/rehoned vintage Kropp I bought. Not as sharp as a new DE blade but I get BSS without any problems. Once I've got my strops sorted I'll get more into honing.

 

[Trubert]

Buy a Herold 57RI it has fine red paste on one side and is a ready to go solution. They can be found for around $30 if you shop around. Work well for maintaining an edge. The opposite side is plain leather that can be used as is or treated with CrOx, Herold Black paste or TI white paste. I have kept razors going on this setup for hundreds of shaves. You can make your own out of balsa, old strops etc but this a a nice fire and forget solution that does not break the bank.

Thanks will see if I can find one. Seems tricky in the UK.

 

[dundak]

Thanks will see if I can find one. Seems tricky in the UK.

Check UK EBay. They run around 25 GBP. Search Herold loom strop

 

[Trubert]

Searched, thanks. Think I've decided to go with this, get some Herold red/black to renew it in time and to use black as final polish on another strop, then get a Tony Miller for untreated Sunday best

And then I'll get into super fine grit hones...

Just to check, do you mean the 56ri? Can't seem to find any 57ri but it looks identical.

 

[Trubert]

Found and ordered from Knives and Tools. Thanks all for advice.

 

[SliceOfLife]

I've only ever used saddle soap or any type of leather conditioner on strops I was restoring. Once the strop is in good condition, the way I was taught was just rub it down with your hands to keep it soft. And of course don't leave it hanging in a perpetually steamy environment.

I wouldn't ever paste a good strop. The majority of people seem to prefer balsa as a vehicle for pastes to any form of strop... though there are guys who experiment and debate the merits of any and all potential substrates for pastes. There isn't any consensus that I've noticed (beyond the seemingly overwhelming preference for balsa, though cost and ease of use likely plays into that). In any case, I'd keep your final strop (the last thing to touch the razor before a shave) clean of any abrasive paste at all costs. Whatever you apply paste to, consider it an entire separate device to your final strop, as a final clean stropping is perhaps the most important step of a comfortable straight shave.

 

[Trubert]

I've only ever used saddle soap or any type of leather conditioner on strops I was restoring. Once the strop is in good condition, the way I was taught was just rub it down with your hands to keep it soft. And of course don't leave it hanging in a perpetually steamy environment.

I wouldn't ever paste a good strop. The majority of people seem to prefer balsa as a vehicle for pastes to any form of strop... though there are guys who experiment and debate the merits of any and all potential substrates for pastes. There isn't any consensus that I've noticed (beyond the seemingly overwhelming preference for balsa, though cost and ease of use likely plays into that). In any case, I'd keep your final strop (the last thing to touch the razor before a shave) clean of any abrasive paste at all costs. Whatever you apply paste to, consider it an entire separate device to your final strop, as a final clean stropping is perhaps the most important step of a comfortable straight shave.

Thanks - that's pretty much the plan, with the addition of something pasted for touching up the edge.

As an aside does light/heavy draw on the strop make any difference to the edge? Or is it just personal preference for how it feels?

 

[SliceOfLife]

Personal preference in my opinion. May affect how much stropping you do, but I never counted and compared my high draw to low draw strops. Just go with what feels better to you.

 

[stone and strop]

The tactile qualities have nothing to do with performance.
Oils, waxes and finishes determine that.
The leather itself determines efficacy.

 

[Twelvefret]

I've only ever used saddle soap or any type of leather conditioner on strops I was restoring. Once the strop is in good condition, the way I was taught was just rub it down with your hands to keep it soft. And of course don't leave it hanging in a perpetually steamy environment.

I wouldn't ever paste a good strop. The majority of people seem to prefer balsa as a vehicle for pastes to any form of strop... though there are guys who experiment and debate the merits of any and all potential substrates for pastes. There isn't any consensus that I've noticed (beyond the seemingly overwhelming preference for balsa, though cost and ease of use likely plays into that). In any case, I'd keep your final strop (the last thing to touch the razor before a shave) clean of any abrasive paste at all costs. Whatever you apply paste to, consider it an entire separate device to your final strop, as a final clean stropping is perhaps the most important step of a comfortable straight shave.

I do the same except I use my forearm.

 

[SliceOfLife]

I'm too hairy for that, I think

 

[Tony Miller]

Thanks - that's pretty much the plan, with the addition of something pasted for touching up the edge.

As an aside does light/heavy draw on the strop make any difference to the edge? Or is it just personal preference for how it feels?

Personal preference in my opinion. Some like a light, fast draw strop of light feeling razors and a heavier, slower draw on heavy, "meat chopper" razors. For me the heavy draw sort of slows down the inertia of the weighty blade on the leather but would bog down the movement of a super light razor.

I would not put abrasive on my daily use strop and many advise against abrasive on any hanging strop as the natural arc or sag of the strop may round the edge. I have held mine really taut and have had no ill effects with this method but was using a really firm temper horsehide on my hanging pasted strop. I think you would get more of the rounding effect from a softer surface leather where the edge actually sinks into it a bit (often from too much pressure when stropping).

On paddles I still like firm leather over balsa but many seem to like balsa more. For sprays and emulsions I like the firm smooth leather, for stick type abrasives or for fairly coarse abrasives I like firm rougher leather. Been using the back side of horsehide lately and it has a sort of sand paper texture, not loose and "wooly" like steerhide (although I like reverse side steer for a heavy draw, un-pasted strop for daily use w/ heavy razors).

 

[Twelvefret]

I'm hairy also, but not on the under side of my arm.

 

[steveclarkus]

So I've started with straights and like it. I got a strop. Having read around a bit, and seen that leather needs care, I got some strop balm (beeswax from the smell) and non-abrasive conditioning paste. As far as I can tell, the yellow paste does the same as the balm, i.e. just looks after the leather. Does moisturising the leather have a significant effect on stropping?

I had pretty terrible technique at first (wasn't holding the strop quite tight enough), but think I'm mostly over that. A few laps on a 3000/8000 waterstone sorted out the minor mess and I've not done it again. Now getting pretty good at stropping before my shave.

I'm now trying to work out how to get the best out of strops. I can't see anything that gives clarity on whether to use the rough 'suede' side of my strop (i.e. the flesh side), though looking at the strop edge it's got two layers so presumably the reverse is intended for stropping use. Is this like using a canvas/webbing strop?

I'm also thinking that I want to use pastes to touch up the edge every few months rather than risk going to the stone too often. And here's where it gets confusing:

- is there a consensus on using the smooth leather face side of strops, the rough leather side, or canvas/webbing for pastes?

- there are literally dozens of pastes / crayons etc, and I know you need to stick to one product on a treated strop and that I want at least one untreated strop for regular use. Should I prefer the harder/smoother leathers for the untreated strop, the softer/paler leather in the strop linked above for untreated, or what?

Thanks in advance for advice; I don't want to splurge on a Tony Miller until I understand this better. Though I do ultimately want to splurge on one of his strops, they look beautiful...

Every couple of years, I use a little bit of mink oil on my strop bit would never apply an abrasive paste on a leather strop. I use diamond pasted on balsa but always wash the blade before using my leather strop to avoid any contamination.

 

[Dzaw]

I'm hairy also, but not on the under side of my arm.

I am a little less hairy on the underside of my forearm than on the top, but it’s still covered in hair.

Of course I have friends that call me Chewbacca too, so, there’s that.