Thread: Strop Advice

I got my 1st straight razor a little over a month ago and have been using it daily and just bought two more straights. I currently have an Illinois 827 strop that is working well for me. I did not want to get a more expensive one for fear of cutting it up while learning. I have not nicked it yet and am now looking at getting an upgrade. I have heard nothing but good things about Tony Miller’s Artisan New Standard Strops. I am thinking about getting the Latigo and Genuine Linen combo. On my Illinois strop, I seem to get the best results when I use the linen side first but I am not sure what the true material is. I have also read that the smooth butt horsehide is a very good choice. It is my understanding that the smooth butt horsehide is smoother than the Latigo. Should I just start with the Latigo and then move to the horsehide? Will using the horsehide make the blade considerably sharper? Should I stick with the Latigo / linen combo and then order a horsehide only strop? If so, I am guessing I would start with the linen than move to the Latigo and then the horsehide? I am planning on using any sprays or any abrasive compounds on the linen.

Thanks for any advice.

Honestly, I have many different strops, including Tony's Latigo. I don't think one strop makes a blade considerably sharper than another. Some may disagree with me. Everyone seems to have his own preference when it comes to strops. Kenrup's, SRD or Tony Miller being the "Big Three".
I have to admit, My favorite strops are now SRD's Premium 1, You won't find a nicer, smoother, more supple leather. I pair that with their English Bridle Leather, (long). It has more draw than the premium one, but not as much as a Latigo. Tony's latigo that you mention has heavy draw, almost like a waxy substance over the leather. It's a nice strop, but I find myself gravitating towards SRD's premium 1....

As far as Linen/Canvas both are good. I never treat my strops. I have seperate canvas strops and paddles...I like my premium leather strops and secondary material virgin....

what strop you get depends what you want to do with them
If only for abrasives i would just get a fabric combo
You want a new dayly strop then a artsan strop would be nice choise

When you got your 827, was it really rough? I got mine today and it was pretty rough on the surface.

Originally Posted by zib

My favorite strops are now SRD's Premium 1, You won't find a nicer, smoother, more supple leather.

Yes, you will. You will, though, have to pay more than twice as much for the strop. And the difference in performance is, as you said and in my experience, negligible.

I'd suggest stick with your current strop, if it's anything like the two or three new ones I've had one month is not even begining to get it broken in and i find the more i use my strops the better they work (and the worse they look). if you want a second strop i'd go with something with less draw like horsehide, or perhaps the srd premium 1 (i don't have much experience with current production strops though).
if you're planning to get a strop from tony miller you may want to start camping at his web store too, as his production seems to have decreased quite a bit.

of course you'll never know what works how until you try it and keep in mind that it takes time before you can form an opinion based on actual performance.

Originally Posted by dtrdwngs

When you got your 827, was it really rough? I got mine today and it was pretty rough on the surface.

My Illinois 827 is actually working well for me. When I first got the strop it seemed very stiff and did not have much pull on the blade. Additionally, the Russian leather seemed to have more draw going up then going down. I tried switching sides to make sure it was not just my technique. I put a fair amount of fat on it (Dovo yellow paste) and worked it in with the palm of my hand and that made a big difference. I now rub the stop with the palm of my hand until it gets hot each time before I use it. The 827 is now soft and has lots of draw. I got my razors from John over at shavingshop.com and they came to me well honed and sharp. My goal is to keep the blades as sharp as a new safety razor disposable blade. I compare my blades to the disposable de blade under a 400x microscope and with the hanging hair test. My 8/8 Henckels is about even or may be a little better than the de blade and my 5/8 Blue Bell is close behind.

I am now thinking that I will stick with a straight razor and enjoy having quality products. While the 827 is very functionally it is also rather economically. I would also rather get a 3” over the 2.5” I have now.

I have the Illinois as a back up now, and an SRD 3" Latigo that is superb. However, Tony Miller's are also top rate. I use the leather/fabric combo as my everyday strop. I also have a nice paddle strop I use as my pasted strop...

Originally Posted by dtrdwngs

When you got your 827, was it really rough? I got mine today and it was pretty rough on the surface.

How rough is "rough?" Mine wasn't really "rough" when I got it, but it was in need of some breaking in. Many guys recommend rubbing the strop with the palm of your hand several times before use to help condition the strop. I do this with my 3" SRD red latigo, and I get great results. You may need to spend some time breaking your strop in before it's smooth.

Warm regards,

Larry

Originally Posted by LarryP

How rough is "rough?" Mine wasn't really "rough" when I got it, but it was in need of some breaking in. Many guys recommend rubbing the strop with the palm of your hand several times before use to help condition the strop. I do this with my 3" SRD red latigo, and I get great results. You may need to spend some time breaking your strop in before it's smooth.

Warm regards,

Larry

The 827 breaks in like any strop, but it will never be as smooth as latigo or horsehide, because it was designed to be that way. The stropping surface of the 827 is the inside surface of the hide. Because of this, it is a very good, fast strop with lots of draw, in the same line as napped leather.

I am not too crazy about the linen side of the 827, though. Some folks say the older version's linen was better, but current ones are very stiff. To the OP, the SRD nylon, or pretty much any fabric like cotton or linen would be an upgrade.