Thread: An odd Strop

Well i just received my first razor set of my father and i was quite excited since he told me that there would
be his old strop and paste as well.
He said it is a very good strop.
And then i got this.
please review the folder on my profile since i dont know how to insert a picture yet



At first i was disappointed and also a bit put of since i would have to do my first ever stropping on this one.
well and i am sure i messed it up a bit. i found it especially tricky to keep the blade flat since the strop is only 4cm wide .

Well just wanted to find out if anyone has any experience on such a strop or if their are any opinions on it.
it also has 2 sides, both leather of different smoothness plus it came with that lead tin stick i have never heard of.

looking forward to hearing from you

This is an old style of strop that comes up on ebay every now and then. I've never seen one that was still in good enough shape to use, but Lynn shows off a few of his on his DVD. From what I remember you place it flat on the counter and use it like a bench strop instead of holding it in your hand like a paddle. I have no idea what the lead/tin stick thing is for...

A lot of the european strops are very narrow; even their hanging strops are only about 4cm wide so you have do an X pattern with them. It's not as important to keep the razor flat on these narrow strops as you might think, because the edge of the strop flexes as the razor goes over the side so it doesn't really do any damage (and may actually help a bit for all I know).

i have one that is very similar that came with my Stainless Puma in a neat little wooden box, but mine is one sided. i actually have 2. i will see if i can post pics again, or find the original post. hopefully this works http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...r-project.html

i use mine and really like the size. it really easy to sit and watch TV and use it. mine was pasted with CrOx from the factory, but i find it really smooths out the edge after honing.

so is yours in good enough shape to use? it didn't look too bad.

yeah seems to be the same sort of strop
and to be fair i just came to appreciating the size sitting in bed stropping away.
i basically just had another go and it seems to flow nicely but then again the razor didn't even pass the HHT so i might still do it wrong, thats leaerning by doing for you then.
so yes mine is in exelent condition.
also my father send me a paste with it of the same brand. its dark brown and oily.
so yes mine is in exelent condition.
but i still have to figure out how much effect the paste or the stick have.
have you ever used such a lead tin stick? it leaves a fine layer of metall particals on the strop but as i said dont know yet if it is finer or coarser then the paste.
how did the pumas turn out then?

as far as the Puma's go, i unfortunately broke the scales on the one as they were VERY warped and i was flexing them back a bit, and snap. the blade on that one still needs a lot of works as they were both stored improperly for a long period of time. i bought them new from a guy who owns a gun shop and lost them for 25 years. when he found them the edges had some wicked pitting. the first one i bought was in better shape and i have since honed it to where i can shave with it, but i haven't touched it for about 3 months and i think i could refine it a lot further now. apparently Stainless Steel can be a little different to hone for some people and i am one of them

i have thought about making another strop like these without paste many times as i really like the way it works. i recently found a local saddle maker that i can get leather from so i may just do that.

Originally Posted by mparker762

From what I remember you place it flat on the counter and use it like a bench strop instead of holding it in your hand like a paddle.

i tried that at first thinking i need it stable to keep the razor most stable...it didn't feel right since this kind of strop is quite small(4x20cm or so) and light.
i then was forced to give up the only table in the house but wanted to get on with the stropping and what can i say even though it felt a bit unstable it seemed to be the right most suitable for what it is.
but anyway only time can tell, give it a few month and i will have figured it out.

About the stick. I wonder if the stick is really a lead/tin oxide stick, and is just using the lead as the binder instead of wax. Tin Oxide is a fine abrasive after all...

Added the photo for you. I used the picture Icon at the top of the reply screen and entered the URL for your photo as it is in your profile album.

-Rob