I never try to convince anyone to try a straight, though I have set up a few people who expressed interest on their own. However, I regularly encourage people to try a safety razor and for that reason I buy any decent ones that I can find for under $5. Almost all have become converts.

Because your friend never tried the safety razor, I will speculate that he might try it once, find it to be difficult, and then give up. I don't know the guy but if he was not interested in trying the safety razor you sent him, then I doubt he is interested enough to out the effort into a straight.

I hope I am wrong.

I also hope you eventually get your strop back relatively intact!