Thread: Hanging or Paddle Strop for Newb

I really need help deciding which would be best for me, before my first razor arrives.

I already know that I want to buy from Tony, as is reputation is second to none, but which should I get?

Help! It's doing my head in trying to make an uneducated decision.

I supose it's a matter of personal choice... I'm also a newbie and my first strop was a hanging strop. When I bought my razor (so far the only one...), a Dovo hanging strop came with it as a kit, so I didn't have to worry much about that choice...

The fact is (as my little experience tells me...) that hanging strops are a bit more dificult to use because, if you are not carefull, they can mess up a perfectly good edge. Look out for the sound your razor and strop make when stroping... might be a good tip: high piched sound is bad... no sound that worries you is ok.
Paddle strops tend to be a lot more practical. They are easier to store, they are smaller and are travel friendly. The fact that the leather is always tight on a platform helps to avoyd messing up a razor. But, then again... there are always lots of mistakes you can make, either way!

In the end it all boils down to personal taste, I guess. So don't worry and follow your "gut". If you are buying a strop from Tony Miller I would sugest a starter's strop. The strop is, as anyone else will tell you, as good as any, but quite cheap so, if you nick it with the razor blade you won't feel bad! It is a hanging strop... but if you are looking for paddle strops, there isn't much more I can tell you.

Choose as you will... if you don't like what you bought, I'm sure you can sell it to any of us guys here in the SRP...
Welcome aboard! Hope you have fun!

You really answered you own question when you said whats best for you. That says it all. Most use a hanging strop for home daily stropping and a paddle for travel. However many use paddles for daily stropping also and hnagers for travel. So every way is the correct way. my advice is buy a basic hanger and see how you like it and then you can buy a paddle later on and try that.