Thread: Newbies first strop

I have been interested in getting into the straight razor world for along time now.

So glad i do research before I get into things cause, I almost bought one of these.

http://cgi.ebay.ca/PEARL-STRAIGHT-RA...QQcmdZViewItem

instead thanks to this sight I bought 2 Wapienica razors from Step222 on Ebay.

Now I need to get a Strop. I know everyone here recomends Tony Miller strops. But I was hoping for somthing a little cheaper for my first purchases in case (god forbid) the whole straight shaving things doesnt work for me.

What do you suggest and where can I get them?
I know Zeepk razors are uber-crap, but are the strops at least okay for a beginer?

Don't forget you'll need to get those two
Wapi's honed from someone. There are
many honemeisters on this board who
can help you out.

As for a strop, you're right, I would suggest
Tony Miller. His starter strop isn't that
expensive, about $30. I don't know about
the Zeepk strops, maybe someone else
can help you there. Welcome to the world
of straights. I'm a newbie myself.

John

Tony's starter strops should be available in the first week of march or so.

Originally Posted by AngryUndead

Tony's starter strops should be available in the first week of march or so.

We just finished cutting 50 or so pieces yesterday and should be releasing the first dozen or so on Monday with more throughout the week.

Tony

Originally Posted by Phill The Thrill

I know Zeepk razors are uber-crap, but are the strops at least okay for a beginer?

Unfortunately I don't think there are too many who could say. May be zeepk should drop their line of razors - perhaps they'll recover some reputation that can be used for the strops. But yes, they may or may not work, if nobody responds in few days I think you should assume it's a gamble and just decide whether you feel lucky.

As far as Tony's strops - I believe that if straights don't quite work for you, you are likely to recover most of the cost by selling it to the next newbie looking for a strop.

And yes, don't forget to get at least one of your wapis honed by one of the resident honemeisters.

Welcome aboard.

thanks for all the quick replies.

I hadnt seen Tony 30 dollar strops cause they we under "coming soon"
I can deffinetly handle that price. I had only seen the 70 dollar ones as the cheapest.

I can't wait to order one.

now onto the honing. Who do you recomend and what is the procedure in getting it done?

My razors wont be here for a couple weeks (just ordered them today) so i have time to do some research

Well, everyone has a different opinion on the actual honing process, although by far the most popular choice seems to be the Norton 4000/8000 combination waterstone. But almost unanimously the smartest thing to do is to have your razor honed professionally to acquire a taste for what true sharpness is. That will give you a benchmark as you improve your own honing skills.

I would check out the honing basics forum and do a search for similar posts. There is currently a "honing pyramid" thread stickied, I believe, that describes a popular method of honing with the Norton 4k/8k mentioned above.

That said, welcome!

again thanks for all the info and I will be browsing all the differant boards here.

But I meant who should I contact about getting it honed? What is the procedure is sending razors to someone from the boards to hone it for me?

How much does it tend to cost, etc?

Originally Posted by kerryman71

Don't forget you'll need to get those two
Wapi's honed from someone. There are
many honemeisters on this board who
can help you out.

As for a strop, you're right, I would suggest
Tony Miller. His starter strop isn't that
expensive, about $30. I don't know about
the Zeepk strops, maybe someone else
can help you there. Welcome to the world
of straights. I'm a newbie myself.

John

I PURCHASED A ZEEP STROP TO PRACTICE ON, BIG MISTAKE AND WASTE OF MONEY. USING THIS STROP WAS AKIN TO DRIVING ON A RUMBLE STRIP ON THE HIGHWAY. THREW IT AWAY AS USELESS AND PURCHASED AN ILLINOIS STROP WHICH IS REALLY AN EXCELLENBT PIECE OF EQUIPMENT. I HAVE A TONY MILLER DEE RING LATIGO STROP AND GLAD I'M USING THE ILLINOIS STROP FIRST.

GOOD LUCK
LIMIT

Phill The Thrill,
check the "critical info for new members" sticky. It has about 5 people and their prices, ranging from $15 to 25 including shipping.
aaron