I picked this up at Coticule.be. A really nice write up on stropping but this has me puzzled. Is the author equating draw to strop efficiency?
Stropping lends its efficacy from friction. We'll discuss this in detail in the paragraph that addresses the stropping stroke, but the surface condition is a big contributing factor to the friction exerted on the edge. The amount of grip the leather has on steel determines how easily you can manage to get that friction going, while keeping pressure within reasonable range. If the leather is too slick, it'll require so much pressure that you might both deflect the strop and the blade. Strop deflection can be counteracted by pulling harder on the strop, but it'll remain awkward, and we have no solution for blade deflection. So far, I've always found the most agreeable draw on leather that had a slightly raised grain, typically found on Nubuck-like finishes. (I'm talking about the texture, not necessarily about the actual process).
I most certainly am not, using more pressure than needed to keep the spine on the strop and to control the blade.
Please note I'm only speaking of my experience with vintage shell strops.......
What this gentleman is saying seems to make some degree of sense, as he explains it. My theory would be that having the leather finished as flat as possible and smooth would be a better approach to getting more of the apex on the strop. I won't tolerate anything I can feel on my strop. Any raised grain is sanded off immediately. YMMV
I seem to never fail at finding something that contradicts something I thought I new.
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Stropping lends its efficacy from friction. We'll discuss this in detail in the paragraph that addresses the stropping stroke, but the surface condition is a big contributing factor to the friction exerted on the edge. The amount of grip the leather has on steel determines how easily you can manage to get that friction going, while keeping pressure within reasonable range. If the leather is too slick, it'll require so much pressure that you might both deflect the strop and the blade. Strop deflection can be counteracted by pulling harder on the strop, but it'll remain awkward, and we have no solution for blade deflection. So far, I've always found the most agreeable draw on leather that had a slightly raised grain, typically found on Nubuck-like finishes. (I'm talking about the texture, not necessarily about the actual process).
I most certainly am not, using more pressure than needed to keep the spine on the strop and to control the blade.
Please note I'm only speaking of my experience with vintage shell strops.......
What this gentleman is saying seems to make some degree of sense, as he explains it. My theory would be that having the leather finished as flat as possible and smooth would be a better approach to getting more of the apex on the strop. I won't tolerate anything I can feel on my strop. Any raised grain is sanded off immediately. YMMV
I seem to never fail at finding something that contradicts something I thought I new.
.