Did the Kanayama canvas change?

Sorry if this has already been discussed...I'm a little out of the loop on strops.
I looked at aframes last night and noticed Takeshi is saying not to use the canvas before a (quite lengthy) break in period. Does anyone have a piece of this newer canvas or know anything about it?

EDIT- I meant to say canvas in the thread title.

I am interested in this too! Anybody received one recently? Mine is quite old at this point.

Same here. The older stuff comes stiff but was never edge damaging IME.
Anyway, glad I have several backups of the old stuff in case something has changed.

I almost wonder if it wasn't a matter of someone using it with excessive slack. It is so much harder than flax linen I think a slack strop could wreck the edge.

Not sure if I have old or new, but I washed mine in a front loader with fabric softener to loosen it up, then after drying, flexed it sharply and rubbed it with a coarse hone to loosen the surface fibers. No sandpaper as it might shed grit, but I suppose you could use sandpaper before washing. This worked well.

Cheers, Steve

I think the Kanayama canvas is definitely a quality product, but one that is served well with some form of break in. It can be time or repeated flexing or a washing machine.

I humbly disagree. I have found that stropping on the Kanayama canvas right out of the box to be amazing. I can easily improve the HHT off the stones with a gentle strop on the stiff canvas. I liked it so much I bought a second in case he stopped making them. JMHE

I'm not that well thought out. I used it right out of the box, and I honestly can't tell you if it is broken in yet. It's stiff, the blade strops squirrelly on it. I like to use it right off the hone. I use to strop regularly with it, pre cordovan and, in my opinion, degraded my really nice edges faster than if I just used suede/cordovan.
Sorry if off topic, my canvas stop is at least 3 years old. If the supposed "new" style canvas is stiffer, that would deter me knowing what mine is now. Don't get me wrong, I like it, I'm glad I have it, I'm just not going to spend extra time washing it, rolling a bottle on it, whatever…it's not that great.

We have gone astray from what David wanted to know, but the Kanayama canvas has always been polarizing. I personally like genuine flax linen better, because it is quiet and soft and very forgiving to use, but if I keep good tension and use a light touch I get equal performance from my Kanayama canvas. I just don't enjoy using it as much.

I have a brand new one. It practically stands on end. I didn't plan to do anything special to break it in, mostly out of ignorance, I guess. It is definitely stiffer than Neil Miller's linen, which broke in nicely without any special treatment. Razors do scream loudly on each, especially the big wedges.

Brianskeet said:

We have gone astray from what David wanted to know, but the Kanayama canvas has always been polarizing. I personally like genuine flax linen better, because it is quiet and soft and very forgiving to use, but if I keep good tension and use a light touch I get equal performance from my Kanayama canvas. I just don't enjoy using it as much.

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Sorry if I steered of topic. My Kanyama canvas (both) was bought this year and were/are stiff as a board. You would have to add some reinforcement to make them any stiffer. In my ignorance, I just assumed it should be that way. I strop very lightly on the stiff canvas with no pastes or abrasives and I love the results. I have felt on a "Star" strop and soft canvas/linen on a "Premiere" strop and never use them. I only use the Kanayama suede to dry off a blade after a shave.

No worries about going OT...sometimes that's a good thing
I've used them (older pieces) right out of the box with great results, but I do like it when they wear in a bit. Can't say I've ever had one damage my edge though.
The break in procedure recommended for these "new" pieces is pretty lengthy...more that I would be willing to do.
I'll send Takeshi an email and post his reply here.

alpster said:

Sorry if I steered of topic. My Kanyama canvas (both) was bought this year and were/are stiff as a board. You would have to add some reinforcement to make them any stiffer. In my ignorance, I just assumed it should be that way. I strop very lightly on the stiff canvas with no pastes or abrasives and I love the results. I have felt on a "Star" strop and soft canvas/linen on a "Premiere" strop and never use them. I only use the Kanayama suede to dry off a blade after a shave.

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Can you post up a pick of yours? Here is mine. I got it about two years ago.

Here ya go, I bought this one in June of this year.

Here's Takeshi's response:

They have not changed the material of the canvas strop since I have started on purchased it, and to wash and breaking the new canvas strop is kind of common sense for the experienced people those who use canvas strop, so I had not noticed it, but recently, one of my customer chipped new Iwasaki kamisori edge.


That is why I thought that I should notice it to the new people those who start on using straight razor recently.


It might be O.K. lower HRC razors or cutlery, but Iwasaki or other high carbon hard steel does not tolerate the new canvas strop hardness.


As you know, old worn canvas strop is softer and working better, and it gets tiny steel particles in there, so those particles help to sharp the edge too.


Thank you.


Takeshi

Mine was very stiff and coarse when I got it. I did several no heat cycles in the dryer and she loosened up nicely.

Thank you Alpster and David's communication confirms. No changes to the material.

I have used the k linen and I found it to stiff and seemed to degrade my coticule edge..stropping on my Neil Miller flax is just lush. The k linen just did,not do it for. The kanayama leather is my favourite part of the strop. His leather is the very best .

Gary

Gary, next time you get the chance, try the Kanayama canvas with a really light touch. I don't use it the same way I would use Neil's linen. On the Kanayama canvas I pull the strop very tight and then use very little pressure. It gives me very similar results to flax linen so long as I stick to the gentle touch.

gary haywood said:

I have used the k linen and I found it to stiff and seemed to degrade my coticule edge..stropping on my Neil Miller flax is just lush. The k linen just did,not do it for. The kanayama leather is my favourite part of the strop. His leather is the very best .

Gary

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I got around to using a razor I stropped on my new, untreated K linen. The razor is my favorite. I have not noticed any degradation to the shave. I too stropped real real lightly on it, though.