Tony Miller "New Standard" good for a newbie?

I've recently gotten into traditional wetshaving and I've been using DEs for the last 2 months, but I'm really curious about shaving with a straight razor. I plan to pick up a shave ready razor on the classifieds here, and I realize I'll also need a strop.

I've heard great things about Tony Miller's strops, so I was browsing his site and I was about to pull the trigger on the "New Standard" strop with latigo and smooth cotton. I also was planning to add the practice strop to learn on.

Is this setup a good setup for a newbie? I intend to use the practice strop until I'm confident enough to use the real/good one. I just wanted to see if this strop setup would be all I needed? Or is this more of a high end strop setup that is better suited to complement another "workhorse" strop that I might be better off getting to start off? I was hoping this would be the only strop I'll need for a while - would it be?

Thanks!

That strop will serve you very well for many years. You are dead right, though. Use that practice strop until stropping is second nature. I've nicked a nice strop (not that nice, though...whew!), and it hurts worse than a nicked earlobe...but doesn't bleed as much.

You will be very pleased. And Tony is as much a gentleman and pleasure to deal with as he is an artisan. As a matter of fact, I ordered two more things from him TODAY! (got the bench strop kit and the travel box strop kit).

Cool, that bench kit looks alot like the flatbed kit that Keith at Hand American was making. Same concept except for the permanent fixing of the leather to the wood vs the magnetic.

I use mine a lot.

Lynn

Thanks!

How about the latigo vs horsehide option, and the linen vs smooth cotton option?

For someone with only one strop, is the latigo/smooth cotton option alright? Or would I be better off waiting for the linen (and/or horsehide) to be in stock?

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Originally Posted by Lynn

I use mine a lot.

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Cool, so now I will be able to get my razors as sharp as the one you sent me? Maybe with about a million more years of experience.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pjrage

Thanks!

How about the latigo vs horsehide option, and the linen vs smooth cotton option?

For someone with only one strop, is the latigo/smooth cotton option alright? Or would I be better off waiting for the linen (and/or horsehide) to be in stock?

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I have the latigo/horse hide double strop.I love them both.As for linnen or cotton, I've been pondering that myself.I'll probably end up with the double...

Kristoffer

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lynn

Cool, that bench kit looks alot like the flatbed kit that Keith at Hand American was making. Same concept except for the permanent fixing of the leather to the wood vs the magnetic.

I use mine a lot.

Lynn

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For a bench hone I do like Keiths interchangeable design and if I was building a complete honing system would go that route, these were just a basic version. I don't own one of his but admire the clever concept. Not much to improve on there.

Tony

I'm going with the Artisan "Lite" Something to get me going a little bit cheaper, and I can add to it down the road. Also getting the practice strop...

Thanks for the post, I thought he was closed until next week. Now I can get my order in. :rock:


EDIT: Done. Order placed.