Thread: Strops, $20 vs $40 vs $60.

Hi all,

In the process of getting all my stuff and I was wondering about strops. Firstly, since TM is out of action at the moment I've been looking at RupRazor. The strops are good but since I'm in Aus I have to shell out an extra $15-$20 shipping (which is fine).

I was planning on going with the filly since I'm new and its cheaper but I'm wondering how long I'll be happy with it for? I don't really want to pay $20+$15shipping now and then in 2 months decide I need a better strop and shell out another $40-$60 plus another $15 shipping and then have a filly just laying around. (perhaps recoup a bit of the costs selling it to another aussie newbie)

I guess the two things I'm wondering are will the Filly suit me for say at least the 1st year or so? And how likely is it that I will cut the strop while learning? (If I'm going to slash it in 3months and have to buy another then cheaper is better)

Also, are D-rings and linen worth the $10 each?

Thanks,

Matt

Edit: I know the beginners thread says not to buy an expensive strop but I guess for me they are all expensive so its a matter of a bit more $ for ? more quality

Good strops to look at for this sort of thing are the SRD strops as they are modular. If you slice up the leather, you can just buy a replacement part for about $30 and replace that one part.

I know its more expensive up front, but think of it this way: If you buy a filly its $40, and then another $80 or so when you get your "proper" strop. Thats $120 guaranteed. But if you buy something like the SRD ones its $80 or so now, and then $30 for replacement parts, but only if you irreparably slice it. Most small nicks can be repaired after all. Thats $80, maybe $110 if you do some major damage.

And if you spend the $80 now, you've got your good strop with the option of restoring it back to new for a fairly nominal sum if you want to.

Its fairly likely you'll nick your first strop, but it'll most likely be minor cosmetic nicks. You never have the razor on the strop in such a way that you could slice right through it, and you'd have to be going some to do a fatal injury to it..!

Something that can really help is to take a butter knife and practice stropping with that. That way you can get a feel for it before you put razor to leather. This should help keep your nicks to a minimum as well.

I slashed my first strop a fair few times, but you can repair them. That one is still going strong as a pasted strop right now..! I must have given it at least a dozen good slices when I was learning, and it still works just fine.

Good luck and keep us posted!

in your case id probably get a nice strop and a replacement leather
I like linen

IMHO 2 or 3" is a luxory question

I also really like how an old seatbelt feels for fabric(if you get one without)

I had forgotten about SRD. They have quite a selection.

Several say they come with a 2nd strop of 'fabric webbing, excellent for pastes' is that just linen or is it not suitable. They do have cotton/wool options for extra $. Is that second strop even worth it or is the leather the only one to really be interested in?

Edit: Found a whole thread about the webbing. I'm convinced enough to try it.

My SRD black latigo strop has the webbed fabric on the back and its highly effective as a pre-strop. I do 30 on that and then 60 on leather before the shave.

I've certainly noticed no difference in the performance between the webbed fabric on that strop and the linen on my other strop.

Its very good stuff though, and keeps your edges really well.

Dont paste your daily strop. Keep that one clean and you can make a homemade strop out of denim or something for the pastes.

You don't have a leather shop around you? or a cobbler?

Originally Posted by AnarchoPhil

You don't have a leather shop around you? or a cobbler?

That's how I got my first (and still only) strop. Nicked it a little, but never did any bad damage to it. No idea how it would stack up to a nicer strop, though, so I'd say if you have the cash, go for it. Just strop slowly and carefully until you get the muscle memory down, and then strop a little faster and carefully.

Originally Posted by AnarchoPhil

You don't have a leather shop around you? or a cobbler?

Melbourne is a big city, I'm sure I could find one. How much difference is there between any piece of leather and a strop from somewhere like SRD? Are we talking the difference being like 90% perfect shave vs 95% perfect shave (assuming good technique) or is it a bigger/smaller gap?

A quality piece of leather is just that. As long as its smooth and free of defects and fat deposits and well tanned it will work just fine. You spend more money you get fancier hardware, thicker leather, better tanning, bigger piece of leather maybe longer or wider. These things may make its use more pleasurable but does it make the blade sharper? Personally once you reach a certain level of quality I don't think so.

My vote for you is a strop from Straight Razor Designs, with an additional replacement piece in the same order. Then you're set.

If you're anything like me you'll cut your first strop the first time you even touch your blade to it lol. If you happen to cut it in a bad spot you can't avoid and have trouble repairing the slice then you're done for. So the SRD guys are genius with the replacement system they've got.

Then, if you manage to be awesome and not cut your first strop you've then got some other options with your replacement piece. You could rig it up to something to make it usable with any of the various strop pastes like chromium oxide or the diamond sprays if you feel like experimenting with them. Lots of flexibility which sounds like what you need.

You should also do another post calling out to Australians, maybe one will see it and have an older starter strop they could sell you for cheap?