I’m not familiar with Iwasaki. Where can I read the pamphlet?
Canvas strop question
- Thread starter Suhrim21
- Start date
Here is a link. I tried to find the original link on Jim Rion's blog but the pdf link was dead.
www.tomonagura.com
Kousuke Iwasaki | TomoNagura.Com | Keith V. Johnson
This book, Honing Razors and Nihon Kamisori was written in 1963, by Kousuke Iwasaki. It was translated into English in 2011.
Thank you for the link. I think that there is some very useful information there. I see some similarities between the Japanese and Western methods. I also noted how the Western methods may streamline, or overcome, some of the difficulties I think I detected with the Japanese methods. Possibly by thoroughly understanding both methods one could synthesize a very effective way to use and maintain shaving implements. BTW, I loved the statement, “Stropping is like vitamins for the razor.” Very similar to a concept I once proposed.
“I read in A. B. Moler’s barber manual that it was important to not allow water to soak into the linen strop as this would swell the fibers and ruin the finish.”
If you are “restoring” a vintage linen, you are likely not concerned with preserving the natural finish. Doubt you will read in any vintage manual about hand sanding a blade with Wet and Dry and buffing on an electric buffer with polishing compounds to restore the original finish.
Back in the day when horse flesh was plentiful and new strops sold for a dollar or two, strops were almost disposable. No-one thought guys would be restoring and using them 50 or 100 years later.
Use the method that produces the best results for you.
If your method produces a polished, stria free finish, and smoking shaving edge, you are golden.
If you are “restoring” a vintage linen, you are likely not concerned with preserving the natural finish. Doubt you will read in any vintage manual about hand sanding a blade with Wet and Dry and buffing on an electric buffer with polishing compounds to restore the original finish.
Back in the day when horse flesh was plentiful and new strops sold for a dollar or two, strops were almost disposable. No-one thought guys would be restoring and using them 50 or 100 years later.
Use the method that produces the best results for you.
If your method produces a polished, stria free finish, and smoking shaving edge, you are golden.
Yes, when it comes to strops, particularly the canvas, I am not really interested in any restoration that will alter the factory finish. I feel that to get the full benefit of vintage barber strops they need to be used in their original form, or as close to as possible. I agree, any barber who damaged their strop would likely have tossed it and bought a new one.
Fortunately I’ve been lucky enough to come across several vintage strops that needed only a good cleaning without completely removing all factory applied finishing.
The Red Imp that I recently acquired may be a different story. It seems to be living up to it’s name since it’s been a devil of a strop to clean. The shell is pitted and scratched and so far conservative cleaning is not working. The used side of the canvas is such that I’d be reluctant to use it to strop any good razor, although I could use the opposite side as it appears essentially unused. At some point I may decide to go nuclear with it and try a more aggressive approach as has been described in this thread.
Interesting assumption. Not sure I agree but I wouldn't mind hearing your reasoning.
My reasoning is this: it seems reasonable to me that professional barber implements were intentionally manufactured in a certain way for a certain reason. Apparently many barber linen strops were waxed. Does anyone know why, or with what? Apparently the linen strops we’re factory finished in some manner. Do we know how? And at least one prominent barber instructor cautions against allowing the linen to absorb moisture as it may ruin the texture on the face of the linen strop.
All of this leads me to be careful about subjecting the strop to a process that might revert it to a condition that could be considered “pre-finished.” Unless, of course, I knew the process the manufacturer used to prepare the strop for sale to barbers. Then I would feel confident that I could properly finish the strop as it was meant for use. But, as far as I know, no one knows exactly what or how the process was done.
What I would really like to do is test stropping results using a minty, broken in vintage strop, a restored vintage strop that has been through a cleaning process as described (including a restored shell), and a current manufactured strop. If the results are all the same, I’ll change my opinion.
If you do a web search for waxed linen strop, you'll find a post where someone waxed their strop to see how it would work. Turns out, the benefit of the wax (stiffening of the strop), was—to their preference—better applied on the reverse of the strop, not the working side.
But did this person have access to a strop manufacturers process? Did they use the same type of wax? A compound of wax and some other substance? Are you sure the only purpose of the wax was stiffening? Could there have been an alternative purpose?
At least two brands of strop that I am aware of waxed their linen strops: Pearlduck, and IRS. And it’s possible that IRS produced the Pearlduck strops. These strops are waxed on both sides. I’m not sure why they would have gone to the trouble unless it served some purpose. Why stiffen a linen when the first thing a barber did with it was break it in to soften it.
My point is, there are more questions than answers. I may be completely wrong in my assumption, but nothing yet has convinced me to the contrary.
I also don't know why they waxed their strops, but I have some speculative guesses, not arguing for or against any of these:
I know there are guys who have reapplied wax to strops they have deep cleaned and been happy with it though, there's several posts on one of the other forums about it.
- Improved stropping performance (whether that means just a better feel, or actually improving the edge)
- To help the fabric hold its shape better (these linens were not as stiff a some of the more recently made ones), prevent wrinkling
- To improve longevity and durability (both wear and tear and moisture resistance)
- Easier for users to spot-clean
- Optimized surface for customers who intended to use abrasive pastes
- I doubt this was intentional, but the slight transfer of wax from the razor to the leather component would help condition it as well
I know there are guys who have reapplied wax to strops they have deep cleaned and been happy with it though, there's several posts on one of the other forums about it.
I agree with your speculative guesses as I share several if not all. I have used Mr. Moler’s recommendation for many years. I believe the lather/shear scraping technique, along with regular light maintenance, removes any significant dirt, grit, or other residue sufficiently to provide an excellent stropping surface. At least that’s been my experience and I’ve been very satisfied with the stropped edges I produce on my razors. If you find the same results from your stropping regiment then that’s good too.
There is one other reason why I try as much as possible to preserve the original condition of my vintage strops, and that is it’s history. The strops, razors, and hones to me are antiques and heirlooms. I feel more in touch with the people who owned these items before me when I use them in an as authentic condition as possible, minus the surface dirt of course. A few stains don’t bother me and, as far as I can tell, don’t bother my razors either. Of course I clean, sand, polish and sanitize my vintage straight razors. But if I have to replace the scales with newly made ones, I feel a little bad about it. Probably silly but….
There is one other reason why I try as much as possible to preserve the original condition of my vintage strops, and that is it’s history. The strops, razors, and hones to me are antiques and heirlooms. I feel more in touch with the people who owned these items before me when I use them in an as authentic condition as possible, minus the surface dirt of course. A few stains don’t bother me and, as far as I can tell, don’t bother my razors either. Of course I clean, sand, polish and sanitize my vintage straight razors. But if I have to replace the scales with newly made ones, I feel a little bad about it. Probably silly but….
Another possibility is that the strop makers sourced fabric that was already waxed and ran with it. Waxed linen and waxed cotton canvas were common commodities with a lot of other applications besides razor strops.
