Thread: Strop recommendations

Hello SRP,

Hope you all are well, I am in the market for a good strop, I have bought two all ready. The first one is a store brand from an online retailer which came with my razor. It is 3" wide with a second attaced machined webbed strop as well. I have been beating my head against the wall, I can get the razor almost as sharp as a DE razor blade, once I go to the leather side it dulls, or really doesnt improve any... Looking at the leather side it is stiff, wavey and concave. The second is a cheap Chinese made amazon special it does about the same as the online store brand one.

I would like to try a good strop before I sell it. Or if you are interested in a Ralf Aust 5/8 razor PM i can make a deal with you. The razor has been rehoned and is much more sharp then when I bought it. I am just frustrated, too much money and time spent for a tugging and razor burn. Right now my Shavette does a much better job and cost me $12. I kinda feel like a fool investing so much money and getting horrible results.

So if you all can steer me in the direction of a good strop or if you would like to end my misery. Let me know.

Happy Holidays!!!

Originally Posted by Lockwood124

Hello SRP,

Hope you all are well, I am in the market for a good strop, I have bought two all ready. The first one is a store brand from an online retailer which came with my razor. It is 3" wide with a second attaced machined webbed strop as well. I have been beating my head against the wall, I can get the razor almost as sharp as a DE razor blade, once I go to the leather side it dulls, or really doesnt improve any... Looking at the leather side it is stiff, wavey and concave. The second is a cheap Chinese made amazon special it does about the same as the online store brand one.

I would like to try a good strop before I sell it. Or if you are interested in a Ralf Aust 5/8 razor PM i can make a deal with you. The razor has been rehoned and is much more sharp then when I bought it. I am just frustrated, too much money and time spent for a tugging and razor burn. Right now my Shavette does a much better job and cost me $12. I kinda feel like a fool investing so much money and getting horrible results.

So if you all can steer me in the direction of a good strop or if you would like to end my misery. Let me know.

Happy Holidays!!!

im not not sure what you have or where you got it. But ve seen some terrible excuses for strops sent out with razors as a package deal. The razors are not shave ready and if they were, the strops were so mangled and crimped that they would destroy a shi'a able edge immediately. If you think yours is similar, have the razor rehoned before you use it again and then decide where you want to go next. The best value is probably a new SRD strop.

If you post pictures of the strops it would help a bit.

Let me see what I can do!!!

Here it is.

Thanks

So lots of things could be causing issues. IMO that strop looks fine for the job, in fact I have one almost identical only its a 2 inch. In the early stages the learning curve is pretty rough. I would guess its a combination of stropping issues and technique.

Remember pressure doesn't equal closer shave and angles with your shavette are less forgiving than with a straight. 2 spine widths (away from face) is the easiest for me.

I have a srd strop identical to yours.I have had zero problems with it.I hope things improve for you.have you tried a little light palm rubbing of the leather ? I use 30-50 light round trips and receive wonderful shaves.keep practicing and talking to these guys/girls here at srp.

Don't waste your time with the cheapest gear you can buy. Equipment won't make up for lack of practice and stropping does take pracitice, but inferior tools get inferior results. Do yourself a favor and try one of SRD's 3" strops. I recommend the English Bridle leather or the kangaroo. You will pay a little more but if you take care of it it willl last a life time and you are getting top quality for the dollar. Don't give up it's a learned skill. Also use the library here. It is invaluable and free.

Originally Posted by Lockwood124

Hello SRP,

Hope you all are well, I am in the market for a good strop, I have bought two all ready. The first one is a store brand from an online retailer which came with my razor. It is 3" wide with a second attaced machined webbed strop as well. I have been beating my head against the wall, I can get the razor almost as sharp as a DE razor blade, once I go to the leather side it dulls, or really doesnt improve any... Looking at the leather side it is stiff, wavey and concave. The second is a cheap Chinese made amazon special it does about the same as the online store brand one.

I would like to try a good strop before I sell it. Or if you are interested in a Ralf Aust 5/8 razor PM i can make a deal with you. The razor has been rehoned and is much more sharp then when I bought it. I am just frustrated, too much money and time spent for a tugging and razor burn. Right now my Shavette does a much better job and cost me $12. I kinda feel like a fool investing so much money and getting horrible results.

So if you all can steer me in the direction of a good strop or if you would like to end my misery. Let me know.

Happy Holidays!!!

Originally Posted by Highwayman

Don't waste your time with the cheapest gear you can buy. Equipment won't make up for lack of practice and stropping does take pracitice, but inferior tools get inferior results. Do yourself a favor and try one of SRD's 3" strops. I recommend the English Bridle leather or the kangaroo. You will pay a little more but if you take care of it it willl last a life time and you are getting top quality for the dollar. Don't give up it's a learned skill. Also use the library here. It is invaluable and free.

Thats what he has.

When I first started stropping, I could feel a diffence when I shaved depending on which side of the razor was contacting my face. I started to concentrate more on thse sound when I stropped thinking I was using the same pressure, the sound was different coming back to me and i found I was angling the blade slightly. So just make sure you're flat on the strop too.