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For a beginner, which of these would you recommend for daily stropping? SRD Premium I or SRD Lynn Abrams Modular Paddle? Which would be the best bang for your buck and easiest to learn to strop for a beginner? Are there any advantages one has over the other? Thanks in advance for the responses.
I presume you have read their respective reviews in Strop Reviews - Straight Razor Place Forums ? If not, you should. If you intend to only maintain a few razors, the Premium I and a CrO pasted balsa hone might be the better alternative. But the paddle is big enough to serve as a daily strop.
Yes I have read the reviews on these strops. In fact the great reviews on these strops are the reason I have narrowed my decision to these two. I guess what I am trying to ask experienced shavers is whether they feel the paddle would limit the amount of mistakes a beginner makes in stropping. I am leaning more towards the paddle for convenience purposes. I am also assuming a replacement pad for the paddle would cost less than a replacement strop of comparable material when nicks occur. Or would it be better in the long run to learn with a regular strop, make the mistakes a beginner usually makes, and learn the good ol' fashioned way? Thanks!
The paddle is indeed convenient. Personally, I would miss the webbed fabric, though. Probably a matter of preference. I like them both equally well, but I use them as single purpose strops, ie the paddle is all sprayed and pasted up.
Damian,
I am one of probably a minority that uses paddle strops (SRD & Neil Miller) almost exclusively for my daily stropping. I do use a 3" linen hanger from Neil Miller to start, but then its paddles all the way :)
I just get on better with paddles, and they are mighty convenient for travel use.
Both the SRD (modular and standard) & Neil Miller paddles are plenty big enough for highly effective daily use :)
If you can, please try stropping with both hanging and paddle strops, and see which you prefer. Both types, when used correctly, can give superb results.
If you are on a budget, you could use the coarser leather side of the SRD paddle in lieu of fabric.
Good luck :)
Best regards
Russ