Thread: I'm not sure what I should buy!

Dovo razor strops

I currently own the strop that's in the second row, on the left.

I am thinking of using that strop as my pasted strop, and buying a second. However- which paste should I get? What are the advantages of each strop- is one with a canvas back important, or can I get away with buying a second strop of the one I already have?

I confused

That is a pretty hard question. I suspect you'll need a lot of reply posts and some time to think about it.

The only thing I can add at this point is that generally you should spare little expense in your everyday strop and you should go cheap, cheap, cheap, on any strop you plan to put paste on.

I typically wouldn't recommend an hanging strop for a paste.

I use a very expensive strop for daily use and I used to use pastes on a piece of balsa wood (to give you an idea of how unimportant the character of the leather needs to be for a paste).

So maybe just buy a paddle strop and use my current one for gregular stropping?

And what paste should I get? There are three-
Green 504041 -coarse paste
Grey 504111 - for canvas stop backing[?]
Red 504031 - medium paste

One thing about strops is I'm not sure what governs the price. Like why does the first strop cost $50, and the second $75?

Razor Strops, Hones, and Accessories
Razor Strops, Hones, and Accessories

Originally Posted by peas_and_corn

One thing about strops is I'm not sure what governs the price. Like why does the first strop cost $50, and the second $75?

Razor Strops, Hones, and Accessories
Razor Strops, Hones, and Accessories

In this case, apples to apples as it were (same materials and hardware), it's SIZE: 17" x 1 3/4" versus 24" x 2".
Considering most razors have about 2 3/4" to 3" of edge, the X-pattern used will cause you to need a lot more passes on the former than on the latter, to get the same total stropping.

And the larger the strop, the less you can find defect-free areas in a hide to make them.

The 25$ difference is because the 2nd strop has a padded leather handle rather than a steel ring.

Ahh OK, I'll keep all that in mind when makeing my decision :-)

I bought the first strop, the red strop paste, mocha scented soap, DOVO alum block (well, I'd need both eventually, choice for soap is low here and I con't get alum block- might as well buy some while I was there!).

I chose express postage because I quite need the stuff to get here quickly- my razor is starting to dull a little, so I reckon it will need a bit of a touch up on a pasted strop soon. For those of you who have dealt with classicshaving before, about ow long does it take for the express postage to get to Australia?

Be aware that Dovo red strop paste is quite aggressive, similar to 3 micron, or 8000 grit.

How much should I put on the strop for a pasting? I'm aware that it's not much, but what should a pasted strop look like? (so I have something to compare to)

How many strokes should I do on a pasted strop?