Thread: Illinois Brand Strops

When I first started this journey I bought an Illinois 827 strop. I don't use this brand anymore simply because I think the leather is no where near the quality or effectiveness of strops from Lynn,Tony Miller a very select few others. Perhaps the higher priced Illinois strops are ok but I'm not inclined to find out.
The leather on the Illinois is very rough which in my view creates areas that are not effectively touched by the blade. The smoother leather called Latigo and Horsehide of course are superior in all respects. You get the sound that lets you know it's working well when you get a quality strop. This is one area of straight shaving you don't want to take shortcuts on.
How did I find out? I lucked into a leather strop from Scotland that was old but had a very smooth surface and had been well taken care of. The sound was different and made me wonder if it was working. When I shaved after using this one the light bulb went off and I realized why the other strop wasn't working and my blades were not as effectively made ready for shaving.
So, do yourself a favor and buy a good strop you won't be sorry!