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Hey I'm a college student and I'm paying through my nose for everything.... would it be feasible to skimp a belt as a strop? Yes I know that its not the right tool and a real strop would work better etc, but i'm not getting an amazing razor, and until I know if this is really for me, will a belt get me by? And if so, what kind of leather should I look for?
It works! Yes it does. Works very poorly, but it works. Plus you'd need to find a strop quality leather belt. Very hard to do when you don't know what a strop is supposed to feel like.
In the end though, I highly recommend getting a real strop rather than buying a leather belt that may or may not work.
There are strops as cheap as 18$ us out there; a poor stropping on a belt can ruin an edge.
Karl
figured as much
guess I'll have to do what I do best as a college student... rack up debt
:P
A poor stropping on the finest strop out there can and most likely will ruin an edge.Quote:
Originally Posted by midgho
I suggest you get a proper strop but you could get by with a belt as long as it is smooth. as for the quality of the edge you will get, that largely depends on your skill level and also the quality of the leather, but to a lesser extent!
True, true; I am a college student, and found a great deal on a strop online, we should have a thread for bargain basement shaving.Quote:
Originally Posted by JMS
yeah i pretty much figure i'm gonna stuff something up... thats why i even considered the belt... something to learn on and stuff up on first so when I get good stuff I can do it right
Well, the best of luck to you! A pasted and well made strop takes things to the next level.
If you figure the money you have saved by not buying those cartridges you will have the strop payed off in no time.
bj
You could always use a straight that has replaceable blades for a little while (like I am) see if you get into it (like I did) and then start saving up for some better quality gear.
I effectively paid $15 for a straight razor that came with 10 blades. Plenty of blades to get your technique going with out spending a lot of money, hardly any money at all in fact. Then just keep it for traveling.
I'm even using my canned goo until it runs out!
Yes, I am a student also! Good luck mate.
You can get a zeepk strop on ebay or some other cheapo to learn on. You'll probably take a few good chunks out of it anyway. It'll take a while to strop, but it will keep some degree on sharpness with some work. Good luck!
Hi khaos,
Yes you can use a leather belt as a strop. I used my 2.5" belt so for a couple of months until I got a store-bought strop. You need the belt to be smooth, and the wider and thicker the better.
Another option for a strop on the cheap is to use the cardboard backing from a notepad. I can also vouch for it's effectiveness. I understand that because of the clays used in cardboard manufacture, there is a small amount of abrasiveness to it's surface, so it works a little like a pasted strop.
Be careful, and have fun!
Jeff
Use the belt!
I use my belt sometimes when I'm travelling, works like a charm! A few years back, I remember a guy who posted that he put his jeans on and then stropped his razor on his thigh. Honemeisters will cringe anytime that you use anything other than a strop- but you gotta do what you gotta do.
Quote:
Originally Posted by khaos
A good hand made latigo leather belt would be better than a cheap strop but a cheap strop would be good for practice with a cheap razor. The shavette path is a good option till you decide if you like it tho
my strop method when I started was a layer of athletic tape (easy enough to find part rolls at games I'm sure) on cardboard. worked not too bad. another option is a notepad, as has been mentioned. the main thing to remember is that you want a FLAT surface, after that see what works. I figure that if razors got packaged with instructions to strop on the hand, it must work, although I prefer leather.
thanks for all the advice guys
right now i'm checking out ebay cus it looks like you can get a good vintage and cheap strop for a little more than a shavette, so that might be a good option.
I strop my knife on my jeans, but then again, my knife, while very very sharp, does not need the immaculate edge that a razor does.
so in theory, any cheapo strop is better than no strop at first?
i think no strop is just nutz - use newspaper if you don't have a strop or a belt that works, should work reasonably well.
if you can't afford to throw away a strop don't go the ebay route. yes you can probably find really good ones for cheap there, but i've gotten quite a few that went to the trash.
get the one from ruprazor for $20, i haven't tried one of them, but he knows what a strop should do and i'm sure uses leather that does the job.
you can use jeans for canvas strop.
I used a belt as a strop but in the end, the edge near the heel is not as sharp as under the point. The front part is stropped more than the back part. I hope you understood. I'm getting a strop these days and beginning to shave.
My girlfriend purchased me a dovo strop for my birthday this year and only being new to SR shaving i completely hacked it up and ruined it, so i went on ebay and bought a cheap one just to practice on. It was only $25 Australian and does the trick. My advice spend the money on a decent strop when your experienced and can afford it. For now just but one on ebay to get you by.
Good Luck
I use a leather belt, the back very smooth on mine. Have no problem at all with it - in fact I have it hung up in my bathroom now and don't use it as a belt.
Now and again I dab a bit of toothpaste on it (fine abrasive) and after a bit of talc (even finer).
I will be getting a propper stop at somepoint (when I'm not so skint) but the belt is fine for now - though not ideal.
I have read on here about people using a newspaper for a strop. I guess the ink in the paper has an abrasive. I believe that someone here used one for several months.
Best grooming tools also has this:
Horsehide Leather Strop
I got my first from classic for about $35 for an ILLINOIS and within a day of them shipping the order I saw a thread about the $20 ruprazor "beginners" strop. I haven't toasted the ILLINOIS but I really wish I had seen the RUP post sooner :(