I have a Tony Miller paddle strop with a daily stropping side made with Latigo leather - I have found this to be quite hard to use without adding pressure.. The razor skips a little when stropped.. Is it my skill thats bad or will the latigo get smoother with time.. Any thoughts.. I have tried using the plain leather with a lot smoother results.. Is the extra draw in the latigo good for anything or is it just different?
I have a hanging strop with one side red latigo and black latigo on the other. The black latigo has more draw so it helps align the edge after shaving. You should feel some draw. The red latigo side is smoother so it polishes and smoothes the edge even further. I use the red latigo side a bit more than the black latigo side. After honing I use the smooth leather to finish polishing the edge and bring it into alignment. Once I start using the razor I use the black latigo for about 20 laps then 20 laps on the smooth side after shaving to keep the edge dry, sharp and clean. As for as the skipping, it may be technique. When I was learning to strop I made all kinds of mistakes, lifting the spine, roll the spine too early on the stroke and a little skipping. Just go slow and steady until you develop your skills. For me it works much better if I stroke away from me and then back towards me instead of side to side or left to right-right to left. Tony's paddles are of the highest quality. Keep at it practice makes perfect.Hope this helps. Raf
Latigo leather is leather that has been treated to make it smooth. Its most common use is for tack accesories and saddles. This process also increases the drag factor on the leather that is used for stroping Razors and knifes. Dyes are used in this type of leather such as black and red. Black latigo has more drag and red latigo is smoother. If I miss something please feel free to add or correct. Raf
Excellent information Raf! I suggest starting a thread with similar info. Kind of a FAQ for straights. We could make it a sticky perhaps.
My experience has been exactly the opposite. The red has more draw, and the black is smoother. Different pieces of leather vary, but the waxes and oils used to produce the red latigo have consistently produced a greater draw than the black for me. I like the smoothness of the black for my full hollows, though. I have an Illinois shell strop that's slick as owl poop, and I like it a lot, too.
You are correct. All leather is treated to some degree. There are many types of leather including English "bridle" and harness leathers. If you buy a leather product, try and make sure the leather source is U.S., England or German made. Any leather coming out of Mexico, India or Brazil is usually not very good. One of the best in the U.S. is Hermann Oak Leather. Most pet collars and leads are made from latigo. It's not the color of the latigo, since that is just a dye, but the process that the leather has gone through at the tannery and product manufacturer that makes the difference.
I had the same problem with the red latigo on my handamerican strop. Once I started conditioning it with shaving soap this went away; it's now got a very even, silky smooth draw.
paddlestrop Dragon, I have no problem with the paddlestrop I place it flat on the table and simply start stropping the straight like that in an X pattern. making sure the X pattern is opposite when stroking towards you does that make sense ? what I noticed is if I am not carefull im doing a technique that would have only one part of the X you would get this / pattern thats just back and forth some guys dont do X at all. im still learning....( I go / up and \ back)
