If you're using compound the substrate matters a lot less. I wouldn't put paste on firehose when a lot of other things will work just as well.
Your Favorite / Best Strop
- Thread starter A_Shaves_91
- Start date
Thank you. I will just use denim for now, then.
- Thread starter
- #23
Good to know re linen vs hemp vs cotton. I had wondered this myself for my future TM purchase. I wasn’t a big fan of the stiff / fast cotton on my current RE setup. I find myself only using the leather and avoiding the cotton altogether. I usually wipe my blade with a towel post shave or hone and then straight to the leather.
My thought (and would love opinions), is that I would hit the hemp on my future TM strop following a shave or hone and then straight to the leather. My question - with the hemp being a micro abrasive as @H Brad Boonshaft mentioned, am I going to risk compromising / altering my edge in any capacity by stropping on the hemp (technique of course aside)? I would assume not and would love to be able to use the hemp as a deep clean for the blade.
My thought (and would love opinions), is that I would hit the hemp on my future TM strop following a shave or hone and then straight to the leather. My question - with the hemp being a micro abrasive as @H Brad Boonshaft mentioned, am I going to risk compromising / altering my edge in any capacity by stropping on the hemp (technique of course aside)? I would assume not and would love to be able to use the hemp as a deep clean for the blade.
Here are photos from an old post by Tim Zowada after stropping one of his Timahagane razors, (64 RHC), 40 laps on a Tony Miller Flax linen strop.
Note the impact on the edge and just behind it and how the stria is minimized, also note the edge is slightly straighter after stropping.
The micrograph is the width of a beard hair, so the stria is really micro stria, and Zowada’s scope is of high quality.
I strop 20-30 laps on Hemp or Linen then 15-20 on leather pre shave. The Hemp or Flax will straighten the edge and polish a bit for keenness. Leather will just polish for comfort it too is micro abrasive from the silica that is naturally imbedded in leather and how it is finished.
I also strop post shaving, after wiping the bevels with a damp and dry microfiber. 15-20 laps on linen will remove any soap, water, skin, blood and oxidation/rust on the bevels.
Clearly, stropping technique, pressure, tautness of the strop and most importantly the cleanliness of your strops will play a part in results.
This is the initial edge. The honing bevel is about 25µ wide.
This the same edge after 40 laps on a fairly smooth Flax Linen strop. The spots are silica inclusions in the steel. They made very handy reference points for lining things up. They were also a great reference to measure edge wear, after many tests.
A chin whisker, for scale reference. It is a little wider th ean the frame of the photo.
Most surprising was how much steel coarse cotton canvas removed from the edge. Several microns of edge width were removed after only 40 laps.
Note the impact on the edge and just behind it and how the stria is minimized, also note the edge is slightly straighter after stropping.
The micrograph is the width of a beard hair, so the stria is really micro stria, and Zowada’s scope is of high quality.
I strop 20-30 laps on Hemp or Linen then 15-20 on leather pre shave. The Hemp or Flax will straighten the edge and polish a bit for keenness. Leather will just polish for comfort it too is micro abrasive from the silica that is naturally imbedded in leather and how it is finished.
I also strop post shaving, after wiping the bevels with a damp and dry microfiber. 15-20 laps on linen will remove any soap, water, skin, blood and oxidation/rust on the bevels.
Clearly, stropping technique, pressure, tautness of the strop and most importantly the cleanliness of your strops will play a part in results.
This is the initial edge. The honing bevel is about 25µ wide.
This the same edge after 40 laps on a fairly smooth Flax Linen strop. The spots are silica inclusions in the steel. They made very handy reference points for lining things up. They were also a great reference to measure edge wear, after many tests.
A chin whisker, for scale reference. It is a little wider th ean the frame of the photo.
Most surprising was how much steel coarse cotton canvas removed from the edge. Several microns of edge width were removed after only 40 laps.
If you are going to paste or spray, the substrate does not really matter that much, it just holds the paste, and the paste does all the work.
You can buy a yard of 2-inch cotton strapping from any Fabric store for about $5.
If you are experimenting, buy a yard of Pellon, it is a paper/fabric used to stiffen collars and shirt plackets. It too is about $5 a yard and you can get about 20 strops from a yard. Wrap around a D-ring and glue, with iron on fabric fusing tape.
A large grocery brown paper bag also makes an excellent strop for testing paste. I like .50 and .25um CBN over Diamond and Oxides.
I think you can still buy a Flax or Hemp single strop from Tony for about $20. That would make a great finish strop, no paste.
You can buy a yard of 2-inch cotton strapping from any Fabric store for about $5.
If you are experimenting, buy a yard of Pellon, it is a paper/fabric used to stiffen collars and shirt plackets. It too is about $5 a yard and you can get about 20 strops from a yard. Wrap around a D-ring and glue, with iron on fabric fusing tape.
A large grocery brown paper bag also makes an excellent strop for testing paste. I like .50 and .25um CBN over Diamond and Oxides.
I think you can still buy a Flax or Hemp single strop from Tony for about $20. That would make a great finish strop, no paste.
Although I have others, I use a Kanayama exclusively. I use the canvas before leather and clean up after shaving with the Kanayama suede. The other leather strops are finding use with knives & tools.
I agree with this. To me it is a waste to buy an upgraded, somewhat abrasive cloth component only to paste it. For the most part the paste is then doing all the work as that is what the razor is touching, not so much the cloth.
Ideally, I would paste a rigid paddle or bench strop over a hanging strop as variable flatness and flexibility and sagging can have negative effects when aggressive abrasive pastes are added
- Thread starter
- #28
As Mr. @Tony Miller would say, “it’s been a roughout week!” Just recently got my roughout strop in from Tony with the hemp. Absolute beauty of a strop - love it and the craftsmanship shows in every sense! Tony was just excellent to work with and I am one satisfied customer!
Kanayama. You can’t beat Cardovan and that man had access to some of the best.
Horse and Canvas from Razor Emporium. I do like their horse...
I like the draw of TM English bridal, and I love his hemp. I have a couple horse, and they are nice. There is just something about that TM bridal leather that gets my juices flowing.
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