Thread: Stropping a Newbie on a Budget

Lynn has a strop through Straight razor designs for cheaper than Tony Miller's.

HOWEVER,

I just bought Tony's $29 strop, and a "practice strop." I've not even used the $29 strop yet, I've just been rocking the practice strop, and it's utterly amazing. Additional $8 for the practice one, worth EVERY penny...I can't wait until I use the real thing.

I'm sure Lynn makes great strops as well, he's yet to steer me wrong, but from experience, tony's are worth every penny.

Neat idea, Gadgetgeek.

Yes, newspaper is one of the cheapest and effective stropping media to use. Often I use newspaper as the final polisher after honing a razor. Admittedly, I follow off newspaper on the plain leather strop prior to shaving, but that's because I have leather strops. If I didn't, then I would have no qualms about shaving off of the newspaper strop.

Some have said they fold the newspaper a certain way to make a paddle. I have found it works best for me if a wrap two sheets of it very tightly around a very firm flat surface and use it as a bench strop. 50-100 passes on newspaper and...ZINGO that properly honed edge is finely tuned. Use a page that has a lot of print on it. I prefer the comics section. The ink acts as a fine abrasive.

Chris L

^ what Chris L said. I almost always follow my final barber hone with newspaper, and then do the first shave without stropping. I also like the heavily inked sections.

+ 1 with oldschool get one from tony he has quality products and you wont have to try homemade strops and risk not getting a good edge

I'll have to try newspaper again at a later time. I did, and I ended up getting chewed up. but thats my fault for not stopping, or switching razors. I think I must have had too much slack. I'll stick to my poor-man's linen for a while

Thanks gadgetgeek,

I just bought a dovo hanging strop and I forgot to take the one with linnen..

I've got a roll with atheletics tape in my bag with running gear anywa. so I'll tapeup the backside of my strop and see if that helps..

Maarten

Originally Posted by Chris L

Neat idea, Gadgetgeek.

Yes, newspaper is one of the cheapest and effective stropping media to use. Often I use newspaper as the final polisher after honing a razor. Admittedly, I follow off newspaper on the plain leather strop prior to shaving, but that's because I have leather strops. If I didn't, then I would have no qualms about shaving off of the newspaper strop.

Some have said they fold the newspaper a certain way to make a paddle. I have found it works best for me if a wrap two sheets of it very tightly around a very firm flat surface and use it as a bench strop. 50-100 passes on newspaper and...ZINGO that properly honed edge is finely tuned. Use a page that has a lot of print on it. I prefer the comics section. The ink acts as a fine abrasive.

Chris L

Chris you just got a way of saying things.... See now I have to, just have try out this way...
thx man..

Originally Posted by Chris L

I prefer the comics section. The ink acts as a fine abrasive.

Chris L

Not to mention shaving Dick Tracy every time you strop.


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Ken from Ruprazor.com has a beginner's strop for 20$ and it works well.

Ken is the man and has a great Rep here.