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Im about 7-8 months in and can't enough. This weekend I'm out of town at a wedding and brought everything with me but my strop. I really want to use my SR, and not get a disposable from the front desk. I strop every day before my shave and usually only do one pass. Can I shave without stroping tonight, or should I just get a disposable from the lobby?
It's been said that you can use a folded newspaper or a leather belt if you're in a pinch, I've tried neither but it makes sense that it would work at least decently.
If you're confident in your technique, you could try using the palm of your hand for stropping, I do it occasionally on some razors and it works pretty well.
How many shaves are we talking btw, if it's only a couple you might get away with not stropping at all.
Newspaper or back of your belt in a pinch should work. Even on the leg of some jeans if you brought some.
Have fun
I find that it isn't always necessary to strop before every shave. Oftimes I just rub my thumb over the edge (carefully) to realign it and have a nice shave. Sometimes I'll just strop on my palm. On the road the tongue of a smooth leather belt works great as a strop. Six inches of leather is plenty long enough to serve as a strop!
Have a good trip; be safe.
Jeff
Awesome. I have jeans and a belt, and probably would be okay for one pass without stropping, but wanted to hear from you guys first. No disposable for me.
My travel strop, since I travel on a motorcycle, often sits in my back pocket. My wallet is flat and made of leather. I use a lot of short strokes, but the task gets completed. Sometimes even better than with my strop.
The palm of your hand works really well. I do this occasionally with amazing results...your form must be perfect though.
I have also tried the inside of my forearm (my wrist). It does not seem to work as well...and a slip would be devastating:D
Really, in a pinch you would probably get a shave a tad rougher but the overall result would be the same without stropping as long as it's only for a very few shaves.
Aren't newer leather strops often paired with nylon webbing that is similar to seatbelt material? In a pinch and maybe just for fun you could try the seatbelt of your car as you can pull them out a fair way when standing outside the door. ??
I've found newspaper to work well. Saw someone do it on youtube and tried it myself out of curiosity, and it really works. 10-or-so sheets, wrapped around a book, and you've got a pretty good makeshift strop.
I have used the inside of a paper sack folded to 4" on a book back; works in a pinch. Same as news paper, but without the ink transfer.
Yes, of course, a paper sack! Good tip!
From Outer Dark by Cormac McCarthy, a baseline...
published in 1968
"Further on he came to a board culvert through which a small branch sluiced with a cool sucking sound to cross beneath the road. He stood looking down at the water for a moment, then parted the ferns and went into the woods along the branch until he came to a pool. He knelt in the black sand and dipped and spread his hands very white in the clear water, framing his own listing image. From the bib of his overalls he fingered a small piece of soap and a razor in a homesewn leather sheath. He shucked off the straps of his overalls and took off his shirt and began to wash his arms and his chest. With the soap he made a thin and transient lather, honed the razor against the calf of his boot and shaved himself, studying his face in the water and feeling out stray patched of stubble with his fingers. When he had done he splashed water at his face and took up his shirt to dry with before donning it again. He wrapped the soap in a leaf and put it together with the razor in the bib pocket once more and combed his hair briefly with his fingers and rose."
I just got back from over a week of vacation & left my strop sitting rolled up on the kitchen table at home. I typically take two razors with me traveling in case something goes awry. I stropped about 10x before and after the shave like Lynn mentioned & I got by with 5 days before I noticed a degradation to the edge & I mostly use a three pass shave.
Your belt.
I forgot my strop once in a trip. Had to use the belt, not bad.
Or, better yet, start using your strop as your belt. You'll never forget it :)
...and people will think you're a WWF champion or something.Quote:
Originally Posted by Leon