BeBerlin said:Well, Belgium is very close to Germany...
Bart said:Update: after receiving Jim's e-mail, we talked a bit about the issue of the linen. I decided to buy an 80000 series, tri-component, strop. Jim will ship one extra test strap of linen along with my order, so I can try a couple of things, without worrying too much about destruction.
jfdupuis said:I just ordered the 30k too with blue logo! Can't wait to open that box on christmas day
I'll keep you guys posted!
SHAVE ON!
RicTic said:jfdupuis said:I just ordered the 30k too with blue logo! Can't wait to open that box on christmas day
I'll keep you guys posted!
SHAVE ON!
I'm considering a new strop and leaning towards a Kanayama too. I've got my eye on the 50K.
10% off all strops starting today!
*strokes chin
garyhaywood said:I'm considering a new strop and leaning towards a Kanayama too. I've got my eye on the 50K.
10% off all strops starting today!
*strokes chin
It sounds like you leave the baking soda on the strop after washing. Is that correct? I have two Katayama linen components and don't use them as they come from the maker. It would be worth it to me to try to soften or improve them, if I can't find a technique that works as they are. I don't want to raise a dead elephant with this thread, but I love the leather, hate the linen. Thanks, T, DennyTM280 said:Hi, I might as well say something, though Bart probably has better information.
I haven't done anything to my Kanayama linen yet, but I have experimented with a known-to-be flax linen strop: a acid bath clearly works to soften linen. One stiff linen strop, wash with soap, one hour in 6% vinegar, baking soda after wash, hang dry.
Now there are certainly several variables here, but the degree of suppleness cannot be explained by a wash alone and the baking soda cannot be expected to do anything to the fibers.
This was a similar course weave as the Kanayama. Edge improvement was clearly better than the un-bathed strop material. But it did not entirely correct for the coarseness of the weave, still bumpy and not as good edge improvement as a finer weave material.
I am suspecting that fabric softener could do the same thing, but I don't have time to try it out. I also do not know for certain if the Kanayama linen is flax, cotton or something else. I suspect cotton, for good reasons, but the acid should also work as well, if not better on cotton.
regards,
Torolf