Thread: Linen vs leather

I have a few strops with actuall linen and a few with a vintage cotton linen. Both have a noticeable effect on the keenness and longevity of my edges. I do not count anymore when stropping or honing but I would guess I do between 20-40 linen and 40-60 leather but maybe it's 45/65? Or 32/78? I don't know but somewhere in that range I suppose.

Originally Posted by CaptBilly

Hi, new here from Australia and do you think that Linen is the best option for all type of bedding as well? or the cotton is good?

Bedding? I prefer Egyptian Cotton with a 400 thread count, keeps me nice and snug.

Oh, welcome to SRP

If you look at your bevels with magnification, the day after shaving, no matter how well you wiped it, you will see, bits of soap, skin, blood and oxidation, (Rust). Soap, skin and blood, hold moisture and cause rust, almost immediately.

The linen, will clean the bevel and spine of all that, additionally depending on the “fabric” of the “linen” it will re-align the edge and can add some keenness. Some real flax linen can be aggressive, and there is a difference in the aggressiveness, depending on the flax linen.

All that smutch, that the linen removes, you do not want on your leather strop, especially the rust, it will build up and eventually scratch the bevel, that can lead to a chip.

The leather is the final alignment and polish to perfect the bevel and edge, before you shave.

If you want to learn about the process, get some magnification and look at the bevel at each step in the process.

Stropping is very under rated, and can keep a razor shaving for a longtime.