Thread: Waving the White Flag: For What Purposes Are All These Different Strop Materials?

Derek,

You needn't despair. You are simply trying to process too much information. The result? You are making what is essentially a simple decision into a very complex one.

Entering the world of straight razor shaving is pretty easy. At its basics you need a razor and a strop. There may be some sort of science associated with this, but I prefer to see it as more of an art than a science.

If you purchase your razor from a vendor who offers a professional honing of your razor before purchase, all you will need is a strop of your choice. Since your preference is a paddle strop, why not get an SRD Paddle strop? It will provide you with all of the choices in strop material that are causing you so much angst. Then you can try out different materials and discover which one you prefer. From my experience, all you need in the beginning is a strop with fabric and leather to maintain the blade of your razor. The differences that you are scratching your head about are more personal preferences than anything else imho.

Finally, forget the pastes and sprays for now. Those are items that you won't need in the beginning anyway. Focus on learning proper stropping and shaving technique.

Just my 2 cents. Hope it helps you in someway.