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Hello again,
Unfortunately I cannot afford one of the $47 strops that are over at The Well Shaved Gentleman, but I am in need of finding one so I was wondering if something like this would be sufficient for my purposes as a newbie? Is Scalpmaster a brand to avoid? Thanks for all the help you guys have given me!
~Opake
I don't know about the Scalpmaster brand, but the thing that makes me nervous is that it is made in Pakistan. I would avoid this unless someone has some good info on it.
darn ok would you have any suggestions...
Keep an eye on the Classifieds (above). Several members have made their own strops. I don't know what the costs or tools required would be, though. Search through the Strop and Newbies forums to find the info. I'll bet some of those guys will post here before too long. The Scalpmaster might be an okay strop, I just didn't want you to buy it and then get a bunch of posts telling you they are crap.
Hang in there.
If you are handy at all you can get one of Tony's bench strop kits for about 20 bucks and put it together yourself... Check it out HERE
as a newbie with no extra money, I've been stropping with a paddle made of cardboard with 1.5inch athletic tape on it. I put the tape length wise, edges touching. One side is pasted with some Lee Valley Veritas Green, and the other is clean. I'm sure its not the most elegant system, and leather may give me a better edge, I hope to aquire some scrap leather to make a strop. but until then it had provided a servicable edge on my razor.
In truth, any piece of smooth finished leather will work as long as there are no folds or other surface irregularites. In a pinch, you can even use your pants leg or the heal of your hand.
Although I've not personally used it, I read where some use newspaper with success, someone with more experience may want to chime in on this....
I have tried couple of times the newspaper and it works quite well. So my vote goes to newspaper this time. I don't own the scalpmaster if people strop with plain leather belt I don't know the reason why it won't work either.
That is another story is the belt or scalpmaster the most comfortable to use.
One suggestion is that you could try to catch vintage strops from ebay. Sometimes you could get them from a reasonable price.
check the vendors section. damon sells a lower priced strop as does kenrup
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
Chris you just got a way of saying things.... See now I have to, just have try out this way...Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris L
thx man..
Not to mention shaving Dick Tracy every time you strop.Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris L
---------------- Now playing: Mason Jennings - If You Need A Reason via FoxyTunes
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.