Thread: The Strange and/or Rare Honing/Stropping Materials/Contraptions!!!

Hello gentlemen!
I'm out at sea, away from razors and family, and my boredom is reaching critical status! So if you will indulge me, I have a curious topic. But where to post this I'm not sure... hones, strops, misc.?
The topic is "The Strange and/or Rare Honing/Stropping Materials/Contraptions".
What, where, how?
Do you have, seen, or plan on making?
Comments on others ideas?
Please do share, no matter how crazy, at the very least we will have a good laugh.
I've got some ideas but will wait to post them.
P.S. Pics of crazy contraptions always appreciated!

Wish I could help, MikeT. I will keep digging. There have been posts of some crazy honing and stropping devices from days gone by here.
If it helps, most of what I use is likely considered crazy.....I suppose that makes it rare?

Oh man! And there I was thinking this thread would take off like a rocket! The next popular hang out.. more replies and pics shared in a night than the workshop gets in a week.. my friend, it was a fanciful vision, fantastic even, but pure at conception. Hehehe
Okay well, the two materials I wonder about are:
Shark skin strop. ? Been done?
Ivory hone. Fossilized?

Two things that I have stumbled upon in the wild, invoking a raised eyebrow & an "...oh?" would be:
Kriss Kross razor sharpener. Used on DE blades; reminds me of the wall mounted pencil sharpeners back in elementary school but a tad smaller.
Ice skate sharpener. "Sharpener" is what caught my eye in the auction house. I was then disappointed. It is a "pull-through" with two small stones, not unlike those for kitchen knives.

Sorry, no pics at the moment. Maybe if I get time at work later...

I seem to recall seeing one or two contraptions intended to aide the infirm strop their straight razors. Drawing a blank right now. Insomnia. G'night.

Picked up a seal skin strop recently. Thought that was fairly bizarre.. Unfortunately it is beyond repair.
Got a haircut from an 80 year old barber some time back and he reckoned the best strop dressing was ear wax. By joves I think he was right...

I sure am glad that I searched for a video of the Kriss Kross razor sharpener! This thing is really neat!


And here is a pic of the ice skate sharpener I pulled from the interwebz.


I don't even know where to start looking for the other things I saw...

Here is one. A crank operated strop.

Originally Posted by Crawler

That Allegro reminds me of the Rolls Razor... minus the proprietary shaver, obviously lol.

Actually, it is a different beast entirely. Far more intricate, and it has a coars-ish, and a fine stone, as well as leather. It is fun to use, but very hard to find. Works for all blades used in lather catchers that I have tried so far, but used to be available for SE, and even DE blades. Swiss made, by the way, so, well, absolutely stunning quality.

I've only seen either in pics on the internet, so I'll take your word on it. I've never used a traditional/vintage safety razor, either. Got half a dozen that I need to clean up & get a variety of blades to try in them lol. Less than $20 for them, so I guess I can't complain about them still being caked in stubble & cobwebs lol.

I'm rambling now. Time for sleep.

Must have been exciting times at the patent offices!
Some of the contraptions are so cool, must have been some guys dream, his inspiration, working away late hours in the basement.. had to be a good feeling.