Thread: Strop purchasing suggestions.

Hey, Iwan,

I'd be very interested in knowing how you like your new Illinois 827. It reads like a fine strop on the classicshaving.com website.

Ron

Originally Posted by Ron A

Hey, Iwan,

I'd be very interested in knowing how you like your new Illinois 827. It reads like a fine strop on the classicshaving.com website.

Ron

If that's the one - I'm pretty sure it's not real horse hide

Cheers
Ivo

No I didn't check with Tony first, it was one of those brainwaves I sometimes have that seemed like a great idea at the time!

I hope the Illinois will be ok, if not I'll likely go back to a Tony Miller #1 strop again, but a 2.5" one next time.

I have DOVO's Best Russian strop, as well as a new Latigo Paragon 3"
from Tony. I sincerely want to go back and try the DOVO to make a
comparison, but I can never bring myself to do it when it comes to
shave time!

Originally Posted by sebell

I have DOVO's Best Russian strop, as well as a new Latigo Paragon 3"
from Tony. I sincerely want to go back and try the DOVO to make a
comparison, but I can never bring myself to do it when it comes to
shave time!

I feel you can't compare the Dovo Russian and a Latigo from TM, they are different beasts I feel for different purposes. My Dovo Russian is a fantastic finishing strop and proves itself on all grinds but more so the lighter grinds. Latigo is a heavy draw strop and suits the heavy razors better (wedges etc), this is not to say it can't be used for full hollows, just it performs well as a pre-strop and heavy razor finisher better than others imo.

PuFF

While I have not had any of my personal strops cup permanently they may occasionally start to cup a little. An easy fix is to hold one hand near the top slightly sqeezing the cup the opposite way then run you hand slowly down the strop. This gentle reverse bow usually corrects the issue within 3 or 4 passes. Humid conditions can make this happen on occasion and some brands are very prone to this. As much as I like the look of Jemico strops I have always had issues with this happening on them.


The Illinois 827 has a unique feel to it. This is actually made with the leather reversed....smooth side on the back, against thew linen and filled with ridges to compress the front, flesh side that is used for stropping. These tend to have lots of draw. These, like other Illinois strops are cowhide, not horsehide although one well known shaving dealer insists on advertising them as horse even though Illinois advertises them all as cowhide.

I do not suggest shaving my strops <g>, nor soaking the linen with lather, etc....

Tony

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

I do not suggest shaving my strops <g>, nor soaking the linen with lather, etc....

Tony

well, one can shave his face only so many times in a day...

Cheers
Ivo