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Too many questions and what to do about cut/nicked strop?

Hi everyone. Im new and as expected i've cut my strop a bunch of times.........and my face, but not as bad as my strop thankfully! Overconfidence is a funny thing...

Anyway, please excuse my shotgun approach to questions! Im a scientist by trade so precision is my game, and learning specific idiosyncrasies of subjects is an interest of mine.

Small nicks can be sanded away and treated, but does the act of cutting a strop warrant a rehone of the blade? Surely for such a fine edge not only digging into leather but the inevitable torque applied by muscles would bend/fold/twist the blade?

Does stropping the blade over a small nick in the leather cause any issues blade wise? Similarly, does stropping over the embossed writing in the leather cause any issues? (EG 'Prima Rindleder' recessed into the strop)

The linen side of my strop has 2 thicker and slightly different height seams along the sides. This surely has to cause issues?

Some information says to keep a slight bow in the leather while stropping while some say to keep it tight.
any particular reason for the difference in approach?

For my replacement strop, is an extra wide strop preferable as it eliminates the necessity for x-strokes? I think the x-stroke is where my issues are.

Thanks in advance!
 
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rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
Like you and most others who learn to strop their SRs, I have cut up my fair share of leather strops, three if my memory serves me correctly. One of those cuts was right through the leather. I'm a slow learner but I do learn.

If there is no visible damage to the blade from cutting into a strop, the only way to tell if the blade needs to go back to honing is to shave with it (a shave test). You will then know pretty quickly if honing is needed.

As for stropping over minor repaired nicks in a strop (and over embossing), this should not do any damage to the blade provided that there is no part of the stropping surface that is raised above the normal surface. Again a shave test will tell you if any damage has occurred.

As for the width of your next strop, that is covered in the instructions. Basically strop width is a personal choice. Strops generally come in widths of about 50mm, 65mm and 75mm withy pros and cons for each. I have stropped with all three sizes and settled on a width of about 60mm to 65mm as my preferred width.
 
Ever this frequently though?
 

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Tony Miller

Speaking of horse butts…
For nick or cut repair I prefer sanding down rather than gluing a flap back in place. Just seems to give less interruption to the surface and no chance of a harder spot where the repair was done.

No harm in going over the depressed/recessed logo. Even a soft bump will not do harm but does not feel pleasant to strop over.

I think many nicks come on narrower strops and people learning the X stroke. That stop, flip part way, slide/shift sideways, finish flipping and starting again in the opposite direction is trickier than just stopping, flipping and starting again.
 
For nick or cut repair I prefer sanding down rather than gluing a flap back in place. Just seems to give less interruption to the surface and no chance of a harder spot where the repair was done.

No harm in going over the depressed/recessed logo. Even a soft bump will not do harm but does not feel pleasant to strop over.

I think many nicks come on narrower strops and people learning the X stroke. That stop, flip part way, slide/shift sideways, finish flipping and starting again in the opposite direction is trickier than just stopping, flipping and starting again.

I start my flip before I stop,
and I reverse direction before I finish the flip.
 
Unfortunately, the design of your Frank Shaving Strop makes it difficult to replace the leather. I prefer using strops that have a buckle and handle attached using screws. That way, you can replace components easily. I did slice up my first strop in several places when I was learning to strop. The leather was replaced and I have refrained from damaging the new leather.

However, you can also change the type of leather or type of fabric component with this type of strop.

The problem with using a strop that has already been sliced is that you may now be giving yourself tacit permission to be sloppy with your stropping technique. If you purchase an expensive strop, your mind will be laser focused to insure you do not slice that strop.

Some people like narrow strops and use an x-stroke. I like using 3" wide strops and use a straight stroke. That allows you to focus on the flip rather than the x-stroke sideways movement.

Keep practicing using your damaged strop while you save up for a really nice one or more. I enjoy using multiple strops during a single stropping session. I love using latigo, fast bridle leather, horsehide, and Cordovan shell strops. They each have a different feel during use.
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For nick or cut repair I prefer sanding down rather than gluing a flap back in place. Just seems to give less interruption to the surface and no chance of a harder spot where the repair was done.

No harm in going over the depressed/recessed logo. Even a soft bump will not do harm but does not feel pleasant to strop over.

I think many nicks come on narrower strops and people learning the X stroke. That stop, flip part way, slide/shift sideways, finish flipping and starting again in the opposite direction is trickier than just stopping, flipping and starting again.
Yes my nicks seem to come from when I stop. I have learned to raise the edge off the leather before the stroke comes to an end, so that the last 2cm of a half-lap is spine only, before flipping and completing the lap. I sanded the entirety of the strop to smooth out any flaps that were raised up and then applied DOVO leather balm, then buffed with a microfibre to essentially burnish the leather. Hopefully it works!

P.s I have seen many compliments of the strops that you make. You dont happen to post to Australia do you? My account is too new to send a PM so if you could PM me that would be great 😀

I start my flip before I stop,
and I reverse direction before I finish the flip.
I have learned to do this naturally after cutting my strop a few times. My strop is rather short though so when I test the boundaries is when I often make mistakes! Im sure the skills will come though!

Unfortunately, the design of your Frank Shaving Strop makes it difficult to replace the leather. I prefer using strops that have a buckle and handle attached using screws. That way, you can replace components easily. I did slice up my first strop in several places when I was learning to strop. The leather was replaced and I have refrained from damaging the new leather.

However, you can also change the type of leather or type of fabric component with this type of strop.

The problem with using a strop that has already been sliced is that you may now be giving yourself tacit permission to be sloppy with your stropping technique. If you purchase an expensive strop, your mind will be laser focused to insure you do not slice that strop.

Some people like narrow strops and use an x-stroke. I like using 3" wide strops and use a straight stroke. That allows you to focus on the flip rather than the x-stroke sideways movement.

Keep practicing using your damaged strop while you save up for a really nice one or more. I enjoy using multiple strops during a single stropping session. I love using latigo, fast bridle leather, horsehide, and Cordovan shell strops. They each have a different feel during use.
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I am about to purchase a more expensive strop for the explicit reason of being more careful! I will have to look into the different types of leather to use as well. Time for a few hours of research!

Thanks for the responses everyone!
 

Rosseforp

I think this fits, Gents
For nick or cut repair I prefer sanding down rather than gluing a flap back in place. Just seems to give less interruption to the surface and no chance of a harder spot where the repair was done.

No harm in going over the depressed/recessed logo. Even a soft bump will not do harm but does not feel pleasant to strop over.

I think many nicks come on narrower strops and people learning the X stroke. That stop, flip part way, slide/shift sideways, finish flipping and starting again in the opposite direction is trickier than just stopping, flipping and starting again.
What grit do you recommend sanding a strop with Tony? Asking for a friend. :ouch1:

~doug~
 
What grit do you recommend sanding a strop with Tony? Asking for a friend. :ouch1:

~doug~
Im a newbie so take this with a grain and a half, but I sanded with p400, p600 on the nicks and then p1000 grits all over until the leather was smooth and dry (until a fingerprint would rehydrate and colour the leather), and then immediately added a fair amount of leather balm, let that soak in, added some more until it was saturated and then buffed with a microfibre cloth firm to generate some heat and let the balm disperse into the leather. Similar to shining my leather shoes with a cloth after brushing. This got rid of the stickiness and made it feel very smooth. Can't feel the nicks with my fingertip however can still feel them when the spine runs over them.

Interested to hear what Tony says
 
We actually live in the same state! I have been in contact with him, he is incredibly helpful.

I just ordered a strop from Tony about 4 minutes ago. I love spending money even when I probably shouldn't :pipe:


I have a couple of Tony Miller's Heirloom strops. Tony is a great guy and he makes wonderful strops. He also sells replacement leather and secondary components should you need them or decide to try another type of leather or fabric. For those on a budget, the Plain Vanilla or Plain Chocolate strops get the job done without frills. For those willing to spend more the Old No. 2 strops are a real treat.

I am glad to see @rbscebu has been a good resource for you. I was certain he would be.
 
Some information says to keep a slight bow in the leather while stropping while some say to keep it tight.
any particular reason for the difference in approach?
I don't think anyone has addressed this yet. Opinions vary as to how slack or taut the strop ought to be. The most important thing is that any deflection in the strop needs to be around the spine, not the edge. If you think about lightly driving the spine into the leather throughout the stroke, you should be fine.
Here's an illustration from Iwasaki's honing pamphlet. You want to emulate figure 2 (not necessarily with that much deflection though).
Screenshot_20221007-204906_Chrome.jpg
 
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rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
I don't think anyone has addressed this yet. Opinions vary as to how slack or taut the strop ought to be. The most important thing is that any deflection in the strop needs to be around the spine, not the edge. If you think about lightly driving the spine into the leather throughout the stroke, you should be fine.
Here's an illustration from Iwasaki's honing pamphlet. You want to emulate figure 2 (not necessarily with that much deflection though).View attachment 1542104
That is a very good description by Iwasaki on the physics of stropping with deflection in the strop. It can be difficult for a beginner to perform that correctly. This is the reason why I recommend that a beginner strop with no noticeable deflection in the strop while stropping.
 

Tony Miller

Speaking of horse butts…
What grit do you recommend sanding a strop with Tony? Asking for a friend. :ouch1:

~doug~
Other than sanding out a nick I am not a fan of sanding as I worry about embedded grit. For nicks maybe 22 or 400 then, 600 or so. As you are leaving a depression where the nick was the blade is unlikely to touch at that point so how smooth is not a big deal, just just want a smooth depression rather than the sharp flap from a cut.
 
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