Daily Use

richmondesi said:

Ok David, calm down.

The reason people recommend getting a Filly strop is because it's cheap and quality. As your first strop, you will nick it. End of discussion. It will happen so you want to be using one that you are ok with getting nicked up a bit. The Filly fits the bill nicely and comes pasted on the backside for touching up the edges a bit.

Latigo vs. Horsehide.

The Latigo has more draw than the horsehide does. In the barbers textbooks that I've seen, horsehide strops were declared not sufficient for barber usage because it didn't have sufficient "service" to draw out the edge on a straight razor. I suspect that is the reason that canvas/linen strops became popular.

The purpose of a strop is to 1) remove oxidation, 2) draw out the steel to restore sharpness, and 3) align the edge.

I'm of the opinion that if I were only going to have 1 strop, I'd get a latigo strop because it does the 3 things above better than any other one strop. However, I think Linen does the best job of jobs 1 & 2 while horsehide does the best job of 3.

A couple of considerations, real linen is not the same as canvas called linen. Real linen will capture the metal and bury it deep in the fibers while canvas will not do that as well.

Practice strop: Tony Miller's practice strop is the same thing that he makes his other strops out of and is capable of maintaining the edge. The only issue with it is that it's just not crafted as nicely, doesn't have a handle or D-ring to grip, etc. It's something that you must get for $7 if you buy a first strop from him, IMO...

I'm sure I didn't answer all your questions, but it's a good start

Also, you can practice with a butter knife to minimize damaging your strop and learning proper technique.

That's a whole other discussion

BTW, welcome to Straight Shaving

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DavidMGunther said:

So if I was to purchase the 3" Artisan.... you would suggest cotton & horse if I'm reading into your post correctly. This is because the horse straighten's the edge better than latigo and the cotton will remove oxidation and draw out the steel better as well.

What are your thoughts on wool.

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Tony Miller said:

Horsehide or Latigo, Cotton, Nylon, Felt or Linen
I am frequently asked as to which leather or cloth to choose for your new strop. Red Latigo is a material I introduced to strop making 4 years ago and is basically a specially tanned steer hide that is treated with oils and waxes. This imparts a somewhat heavier draw, or friction to the leather which makes it what I feel is the best all around material for stropping on. Not all latigo leathers are created equal and there is far more to making a strop than just cutting a strip from a side. Knowing which type of latigo to use, which hides to discard and the areas and orientation to cut each piece from are paramount to crafting a proper strop. I use a proprietary "breaking in" process done on both the raw components and again on the finished strops before shipment to help prevent cupping.

The Horsehide I use is cut from the butt section of the horse. This is the thickest, strongest part of the skin. Horsehide will have considerably less draw or friction but makes for an excellent finishing strop for use after Red Latigo or for those who just prefer a more traditional material. These strops go through my same extensive break in process. The raw horsehide "butts" have a fairly low yield of first quality leather, hence the higher costs for this product. Coloration will range from a light tan to a variegated wood grain like pattern.

There are a lot of leather choices out there to catch the buyers eye but I have found that the best materials, and the ones that have stood up year after year for myself and my customers, were my original Red Latigo and the Butt Section Horsehide. I prefer to stand with these time tested, proven materials alone for my products, and not to try to woo buyers with some exotic hides that have no effective advantage other than a catchy name and a premium price tag.

The actual function of the cloth component, typically called "linen" is the subject of much debate but most feel it is an important step in stropping. Sadly, most strop makers today use the word "Linen" to mean any cloth component, no matter what fiber it is actually made from. There is no "mystery" cloth used on my strops, I call it what it is, Smooth Cotton, Nylon, Hard Wool Felt or Genuine Linen, no surprises, no secrets, no generic terms to make you think you are getting something you are not. Smooth cotton is my daily choice as it has a firm, stiff temper but a fine weave making for a smooth surface for daily stropping or the application of fine abrasives. Nylon has a smooth, slick feel and seems to generate the required friction quickly but is not as good a choice if one intends to use abrasives. Genuine Linen, being a less processed fiber and the traditional choce for years, is thought to be more abrasive than cotton and may be the best choice for those wanting the ultimate material. I do feel it would be a waste to then apply pastes over this material as it is already inherently abrasive itself. I also offer Hard Wool Felt which I feel is a good option if one plans to use abrasives such as diamond sprays or powdered or liquid chromuim oxide. It will work well with diamond pastes too but the application is not quite as easy as with the sprays. It is probably not the best choise for use by itself so select this option only if you intend to use abrasives on it.

The best width strop for a beginner would probably be a 3" model. It allows you to go straight up and down without learning the x-pattern early on. Later, as experience grows, an X pattern can still be done on a 3" if desired. This is the width 90% of the buyers choose, hence my trade name...the New Standard™. For years a 2 1/2" width was pretty standard here in the States and happens to be my own personal favorite and the basis for my Traditional™ strops. Some fellows still prefer the narrow 2" Old School™ strops, a width that have been popular in Europe for years. Lots of choices but if in doubt I feel the 3" would suit you just fine.

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DavidMGunther said:

I can't believe I just spent $130 on a horsehide/linen strop. I haven't even received my straight yet.

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DavidMGunther said:

I can't believe I just spent $130 on a horsehide/linen strop. I haven't even received my straight yet.

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richmondesi said:

As your first strop, you will nick it. End of discussion.

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DavidMGunther said:

I can't believe I just spent $130 on a horsehide/linen strop. I haven't even received my straight yet.

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