I've heard some of you talking about a draw in association with strops and I'm wondering what are you talking about. Can you have a strop with a better "draw" and will that do a better job? I thought I read one comment from someone that did something to a newly acquired strop that changed the draw (I think he roughed it lightly or something). Can the "draw" on a strop be adjusted?
What is the draw?
- Thread starter Nizzyrate
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The draw is the type of resistance by the leather as you strop the blade. You can only do so much to a strop to tweak the draw a bit. Its more a matter of type of leather and the original treatment. Some slight modifications in draw are done by sanding, adding conditioners such as oils and even wax in some cases.
Is more draw better, I think not necessarily. Too much draw and the razor doesnt get a high polish. Too little draw and the leather doesnt align the edge as well.
I like some draw but more on the fast side. I use a strop I made of hard compressed horsehide.
You can also always have one heavy and one light so you have the best of both.
Is more draw better, I think not necessarily. Too much draw and the razor doesnt get a high polish. Too little draw and the leather doesnt align the edge as well.
I like some draw but more on the fast side. I use a strop I made of hard compressed horsehide.
You can also always have one heavy and one light so you have the best of both.
The draw on a strop is basically the resistance/feed back from the razor on the leather. Different materials have different draw. Latigo and horse hide is the most common leathers used for strops and the latigo has the most draw.
The latigo is the leather you want to use for stropping IMO because you can feel the feedback and know if you're not stropping correctly. The horse hide is wonderful after the latigo as a finishing/polishing strop.
I use both and normally do 50 latigo and 50 horsehide before a shave.
The latigo is the leather you want to use for stropping IMO because you can feel the feedback and know if you're not stropping correctly. The horse hide is wonderful after the latigo as a finishing/polishing strop.
I use both and normally do 50 latigo and 50 horsehide before a shave.
Some strops seem to provide a sensation that the leather is literally "sucking" the blade towards it.
Draw is simply friction created between the razor and the leather. Horse hide has the least and many people praise it. There is less draw and feedback to horse hide than almost all other materials. You can hand rub it, put neatsfoot oil on it, sand it, buff is or anything else and it still has minimal draw. Personal experience has shown me the horse hide is a good way to watch people spend extra money for a less effective strop. However, my vegetable tanned and bridle strops put a better edge on my razors than my horse hide does. This is all opinion, but you can spend lots of $ for horse hide and essentially get ripped off. The material is not terribly expensive, but here is a good amount of waste. Besides, if it takes 100's of laps per day to get a shaving edge, you need to change strops because 30 on my vegetable tanned or bridle is enough to shave very comfortably. The only thing I do is hit 30 on the canvas after each shave to clean the blade and give a slight polish before the next shave.
My favorite right now is between the bridle and vegetable tanned. If I were going to spend on a horse hide strop though, I would buy the Katayama Llama strops because to me they stand head and shoulders above any other horse hide strops out there and are made from very fine Cordovan shell that has definitely been worked in some method to make it almost have a patent leather feel to it. Plus the cloth is really neat on it as well. . This is the best of all the makers I have personally seen ( I have seen all the current producers and many vintage strops) and when you feel it, and test the edge of your razor after using it, there is a noticeable difference, though not better than a good bridle strop.
This is my $0.02. Draw is a physical property and weather more or less is desirable is a decision you have to make. I can just tell you that horse hide is difficult to increase draw whereas other leathers are much easier to increase.
My favorite right now is between the bridle and vegetable tanned. If I were going to spend on a horse hide strop though, I would buy the Katayama Llama strops because to me they stand head and shoulders above any other horse hide strops out there and are made from very fine Cordovan shell that has definitely been worked in some method to make it almost have a patent leather feel to it. Plus the cloth is really neat on it as well. . This is the best of all the makers I have personally seen ( I have seen all the current producers and many vintage strops) and when you feel it, and test the edge of your razor after using it, there is a noticeable difference, though not better than a good bridle strop.
This is my $0.02. Draw is a physical property and weather more or less is desirable is a decision you have to make. I can just tell you that horse hide is difficult to increase draw whereas other leathers are much easier to increase.
+1. I do the same (except I start with 30 on the linen). The difference in the way the latigo and horsehide feel as you are stropping is amazing. Latigo feels sticky almost and the horsehide is like glass.
Well, shoot. Wish I had read this - I thought I was doing good to get a Linen/Latigo combo. Should I have skipped the linen and picked up a Horsehide?
I think you have about the most popular combination and it is popular for a reason.
Of course if you like strops as much as I do, don't worry about it as you will eventually have a few more.
You did fine. If I was going to pick just one strop it would be Latigo, or possibly bridle leather but that can vary a lot depending on what tannery does it. Actually latigo can as well depending on where it is tanned and how.
I love horsehide but the low draw can make it too fast for beginners. Just like many things the subtleties are lost until one gains a lot of experience.
Tony
I love horsehide but the low draw can make it too fast for beginners. Just like many things the subtleties are lost until one gains a lot of experience.
Tony
Thanks Robert and Tony - I'm right back to feeling warm and fuzzy about my selection 
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