Thread: Strop

If you have good manual dexterity in your fingers, hand and wrist, then mastering the x-pattern needed to use a strop narrower than the length of the razor. I have some arthritis in my fingers and could never master a 2" strop. I can use a 2 1/2" strop on standard 2 3/4" length blades but have difficulty stropping my 3" length blades unless I use a 3" wide strop. You would not think 1/4" in blade length would make much difference, but it does.

As said, practice with a butter knife.

When comfortable with that only use the linen for the first few days. Linen is very hard to cut and a miscue on linen is much preferred to a slice in the leather

Good luck

While everyone recommends a cheap strop for your first because you 'will' cut it. I am one who has never 'yet' cut a strop with a bit over five years of daily stropping. I am well aware that I could cut a strop on any given day, but it has never happened to me 'yet'. Just saying that IME cutting your first strop is not inevitable. YMMV

I find 2.25" - 2.5" to be most comfortable and often use 1.5" for travel with little difficulty. I find 3" strops easier to use, but much harder to use x strokes on as the edges are to far from the center, if that makes any sense. I think that 2.25" is the sweet spot for me.

Going with what Bluesman said, afte i cut my first strop a few times and i wanted to replace it with something nice, my second strop was a Kanayama 70000. I spent a lot of money for it being a top shaelf strop. This made me NOT want to go fast, and to be damn sure of not cutting it. I cut up my first one but have not cut any sense. Some have said that after you get started, spend big money! It will keep you from making mistakes because you dont want to damage something that cost a lot.

Another way to go is the SRD strops. You can spend a bit of money on your first one, but then after you cut it up you can replace the leather and/or linen as they sell replacements for low cost. Im not promoting SRD, but the strops are not a bad deal. Lots of ways to go about strops!

PM Speedster as he had one he was selling.

There may be some cheap strops for sale after the Wisconsin meet.See if you can borrow someones beater until then.

i always thought the tony miller plain vanilla or chocolate strops to be excellent quality, no frills, low cost strops.