Thread: Illinois Strops website

Hi,
Finally I got myself another razor (Timor). Now looking to get a nice strop. Read some reviews on the web about Illinois strops, looks like they are a good buy. Anyone can share their official website ? and maybe some thoughts about their quality, since I am sure many of you might have it.

Thanks

Originally Posted by Unitouch

Hi,
Finally I got myself another razor (Timor). Now looking to get a nice strop. Read some reviews on the web about Illinois strops, looks like they are a good buy. Anyone can share their official website ? and maybe some thoughts about their quality, since I am sure many of you might have it.

Thanks

I bought mine from amazon.com.

The Illinois 827 Russian is 2.5 wide and a nice strop! I like it also because it has the linen strop along with it.

I got an illinois 127 and I had a lot of problems with it. It was pretty cupped, so that it would only make contact with the outer edges of the strop. I was waxed too much, so there was no grab what so ever. I have tried many things to flatten it, and it hasn't really helped too much.

If I had to do it over again, I'd get a ruprazor. In fact, I'm looking to get a ruprazor strop to replace the illinois I'm unhappy with.

Stay away from the cheaper models ... mine turned out to be a good practice strop ... not very good quality, but I ended up nicking it anyway ...

Thanks for your comments, i'll keep that in mind.
Does anybody knows what is their official website ?

Originally Posted by markevens

I got an illinois 127 and I had a lot of problems with it. It was pretty cupped, so that it would only make contact with the outer edges of the strop. I was waxed too much, so there was no grab what so ever. I have tried many things to flatten it, and it hasn't really helped too much.

If I had to do it over again, I'd get a ruprazor. In fact, I'm looking to get a ruprazor strop to replace the illinois I'm unhappy with.

I heard that the 127 can be really stiff. I love my 827 Russian though!!

Illinois razor Strop is a very old company, now owned by Fromm International.

Fromm is a major beauty supply outfit selling anything and everything dealing with barber and beauty shops via a large network of dealers. I don't think they have a brick and mortar store.

I am also not sure where their strops are actually made. Their website says "Americas Only Strop Maker".

http://www.frommonline.com/cat4x2.aspx?id=21301

Originally Posted by jeffegg2

I heard that the 127 can be really stiff. I love my 827 Russian though!!

Illinois razor Strop is a very old company, now owned by Fromm International.

Fromm is a major beauty supply outfit selling anything and everything dealing with barber and beauty shops via a large network of dealers. I don't think they have a brick and mortar store.

I am also not sure where their strops are actually made. Their website says "Americas Only Strop Maker".

Razors & Strops

Yeah, to be honest I thought I'd gotten a lemon. I read a lot of reviews on strops before I made my purchase, and many people seemed to like them. Mine just gave me too much trouble though, so I doubt I'll ever get another one.

Originally Posted by markevens

Yeah, to be honest I thought I'd gotten a lemon. I read a lot of reviews on strops before I made my purchase, and many people seemed to like them. Mine just gave me too much trouble though, so I doubt I'll ever get another one.

I think I got a lemon as well. It was my first strop and I really liked it, but it started cupping after a very short time. The vendor told me to send it back to him.

Good luck with your Timor. This is not a razor I would normally recommend to anyone. I find them difficult to hone and hold an edge. Obviously Fromm/Illinois is not the only strop maker in America..........lol.

Have fun,

Lynn

Originally Posted by Unitouch

Hi,
Finally I got myself another razor (Timor). Now looking to get a nice strop. Read some reviews on the web about Illinois strops, looks like they are a good buy. Anyone can share their official website ? and maybe some thoughts about their quality, since I am sure many of you might have it.

Thanks

I went into an old beauty supply place searching for gold and found 2 Illinois 206s
bought the first one for twenty bucks,to practice on,it turned out to be a really nice strop,linen and leather both good quality and the leather laid flat as a board.I figured that they had been there for a long time as the cheapest I could find them on the web was close to fifty bucks and more in some places, I used a good quality glove oil and it soaked up alot,then I used it and it worked like a dream,so I went back and bought the other one,that Ill use for pastes or as a spare. The one thing that I was wondering is if you have a good strop,is there really a difference in a different one assuming its also of good quality?Ive been eyeing Lynns as its 3 in as opposed to the 2.5 Illinois but aside from the ease that the width brings is there a difference in plain leather?