Thread: 2.5" vs 3" - What's the Deal?

Alright, so why one over the other? Cotton vs. linen...

So many options without even getting into pastes and such. So help me out and explain to me the virtues of one strop width/material over another.

Also, are you supposed to put leather conditioner or something on a strop?

Thanks in advance!

Unit,

I wish I could tell you which is better. Alas all I can say is that I prefer the 2 1/2" width, it just seems to work better for me. Dressing a strop can probably be done too much as the oilier the leather the more resistance (draw) the strop has for dragging the razor along it. My opinion is that the harder it is to move the razor over the leather the easier it is to make mistakes while stropping, such as rolling the blade up and off the spine. Before stropping I run the heal of my hand up and down the leather a couple of times and feel that the very small amount of oil tranferred from my skin onto the strop will keep it in good shape for a long time.

I agree that its really about preference. I have a 3" TM red latigo strop with a cotton/canvas type side. I'm very happy with it. I can't speak to the difference between cotton or linen. Some would say neither is necessary and they would have a good point.

My next hanger will probably be 2.5" to better accommodate blades with smiles, but the 3" is fine too. You can't go wrong either way.

I think Tony says the strops don't need to be conditioned very often. Only when they start to feel less supple.

Jordan

I'm a 3 inch man. Don't like doing an X pattern on a strop and the 3 inch fits the whole blade. Works just fine for me.

To use a canvas strop or not? Makes me think of the question: to warm up the car's engine or not? Guess that depends on where you live. I've lived in the Southern California valleys all my life and have never warmed my car engine before driving. But I know some poeple living here who do. Does it really matter?

Back to the canvas strop. Is it just preference, or is there a definite purpose to it? Some on SRP have played around with this issue and have discovered better shaves by incorporating the canvas strop. Another question: why were canvas strops sold in all the old barber supply catalogs? Why is its use included in all of the barber teaching texts?

As far as width. Again, every vintage "professional" barber strop I have ever seen has been 2.25 inches wide. Just coincidence or intention?

Finally the strop dressing. All of the old barber texts, and supply catologs, refer to strops as being, or need to be, "broke-in." Some are marketed as "already broke-in."
My experience has taught me that a very limp and supple strop gives the best results. Most strops today seem to be rather stiff when new. If so, a small amount of strop dressing, along with frequent hand dressings, can help take the stiffness out.

And, as usual, YMMV


Scott

Scott,
We founded advice as I see it. Things were done a certain way for a reason...often because it was "best" or sometimes simply because it was "good enough".

Personally I find a 2 1/2" strop plenty wide and many felt the X pattern was needed. I also just like the proportion of the narrower piece. While I don't think cupping has been a big issue with mine, in theory at least wider may be more prone to it.

Today the 3" seems the strop of choice now days as is a 3" Norton. Both are easier to use than say a 2 1/2" or 2 1/4" but are they better? or are we giving up something by going wider?

(BTW, I'm don't warm my car up..a 1995 Saturn with 200,000+ miles on it. I figure it's only got so many hours of life left and I won't waste them sitting in front of the house)

Tony

Originally Posted by welshwarrior

I'm a 3 inch man.

Is the missus happy with that?

Originally Posted by poona

Is the missus happy with that?

You took the words right out of my mou...er...ahem...you know what I mean!

Originally Posted by honedright

Makes me think of the question: to warm up the car's engine or not? Guess that depends on where you live. I've lived in the Southern California valleys all my life and have never warmed my car engine before driving. But I know some poeple living here who do. Does it really matter?

I've also lived in California my whole life. Being in the auto industry I'd answer the question with a yes. Depending on the car. That's a conversation for another time.

Thanks for all the good input. A lot of data to process in this venture. Want to make sure my decision is an educated one.

Where is strop dressing even sold? Is it similar to the conditioner one would use on a baseball glove?

It crossed my mind as I was typing that I was leaving myself exposed, but then I thought, nah - too puerile for this site.

(Seeing as 2.5 is the original I tell her she's lucky.)

Originally Posted by poona

Is the missus happy with that?