Thread: Cut off handles

A friend gave me a Red Imp hanging strop that was his grandfather's. He was a barber in the 30s and the strop is worn but in good shape. But the handles have been cut off. He said the most of the old barbers did this. I use the stop but it isn't easy. Does anybody have any insight to the truth of this and what can I do to replace or modify the strop for a better grip?

As far as I know most typical professional hanging barber strops didn't come with handles. Only one of the several strops that I own has a leather handle!!

I think most strops did not come with a handle. Having a handle was kind of a deluxe feature something a barber would not want to pay extra for. I have several vintage strops and actually never gave a mind as to whether they had a handle when I bought them and only a couple do the rest don't. So, I'd say that probably less than 25% of strops had them. Just my educated guess.

The leather and linen were obviously cut free hand. They are not square angles as a craftsmen might cut them. So did these guys hold the bottom or strop it hanging free?

Most older strops did not have handles from what I have seen as well. Illinois top of the line model, the #361 has no handles either while their lesser #127, 827 and 835 strops do. Most older eBay finds that were USA made or branded seem to follow this handless pattern as well. European strops though often have the metal loops top and bottom but again, usually without leather handles. Dovo and Jemico each make a high end strop with handles attached via a metal loop.

I do both styles, my # 2 without and my #1 with handles. Customers prefer the handles, I prefer them withoout simply grasping both leather and linen together with the strop laid over my index finger and gripped with my thumb the way "real" barbers did it <g>

Tony

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

... grasping both leather and linen together with the strop laid over my index finger and gripped with my thumb the way "real" barbers did it <g>

It's funny, I have a long 3"-wide handamerican strop that's prone to cupping – minor and variable cupping, mind you, not actual warping. I have found myself gripping it above the handle, on the actual stropping surface, and holding it in exactly the way you describe Tony. Between my thumb and the length of my index finger I can actually make minor adjustments to keep the strop flat. If I pull the strop very taut by the handle, by contrast, any concavity or convexity in the stropping surface becomes if anything even a little more pronounced. Someone with a better understanding of physics can explain why, but it feels like the metal ring that connects the handle is actually pulling the center part of the strop with more force than the sides. Anyway I've unconsciously adopted this practice of not using the handle, and never gave it any thought until I read this post.

I wonder if barbers preferred strops without handles because it gave them more control over the strop's flatness in this way.

I do think you have more control of normal width strops without handles. On the really wide ones the handle may help keep it reasonably flat but again, as you found tension makes a difference as well. Too taught can warp it easily. I do find a slight cupping or even bowing tends to flatten under the weight of a razor if the strop is slightly loose.

Some leathers are more prone to warping too. The harder the leather, the harder to keep it flat. I used to make some really think Latigo strops that were quite flat when things went well. But...if they did cup they were near impossible to flatten again. The thinner latigo is quite maleable and can be worked flat with just the handle in many cases along with a little Neat's Foot Oil.

I took a few samples with me on vacation 2 weeks ago to show to some prospective clients. Those fellows twisted and worked them every way one shouldn't, and laying in the greenhouse hot car did a real number on it too. I oiled it up, strecteched it, worked it with my hand and it was as good as new. The one without a handle was far easier to correct though as it hardly changed.

Tony

Thanks Tony, that helps lot.