Preferred strop width

Bought my new strops today (thanks, Tony). During the past months I have been trying three different strops and have always been lucky enough to re-sell the strop I was using together with a blade, to help buyers that were looking for a starter kit and to experiment with different strops. After trying two different Dovo (1 3/4" wide) and one Red Latigo by T.Miller (2 1/2" wide), I found that I prefere something about 2" wide. I feel a sort of increased control, like when honing on a narrow stone (that is what I like more). Well, I'm sure that this is more a personal taste than other thing, so..

..your experiences?

EDIT: I forgot to say that stropping on my hand is probably the experience I like more.

Gentlemen,

I have always used a 2" strop and the width seems to work just fine for me.

In replying to another post, I referred to my Tony Miller strop as a 3". It's actually a 2". My mistake.

So what's my preference? I suppose I'll be safe to say the 2" strop.

Regards,

Obie

I thought that I liked the 3" and so I bought my Tony Miller strop as a 3 inch. But I also bought a practice strop at the same time and actually have come to like that width better. I think it is a 2.5". With that in mind I put 2.5

Let me hang with the 2 inch wide group here! That's what I use. never had a wide one so I wont say i must have 2. But 2 is what i chose to make and i like it:) as well not too thick;)

I don't know, I have several, including a nice Vintage Dubl Duck Cordovan (think I spelled that right) I like the 3" inch width. I usually finish on a Solingen 2" butter soft leather. I like using both during my normal stropping ritual.

3" red latigo!!! I have a 2" which works well but I prefer the 3"

I used to prefer the 2 1/2 because that is what the vintage strops are and I have some of those. When I finally started using the Premium 1 as my daily driver I got used to the 3" and that is where I'm at now.

My strop has a stropping area of 44 x 333 mm (1 6/8 x 13 1/8 inch). That's probably very small to most people's standards, but I've used it for years and stropping on another strop feels awkward. This one has excellent draw (say friends too) and if I were going to buy a new strop it would be either for the looks or for the finishing qualities of horsehide - so material, not size. A bit of extra length would probably be nice, but width to me isn't really an issue. Then again, I may not really know what I'm missing...

I used 2 1/2 inch strops for over 30 years and always said I would never switch. Don got me to try a 3 inch last year and all I can say is that there are now 6 3 inch strops hanging in my shave den.

Lynn

Interesting because I have some red latigo laying around that isn't very long, maybe a foot at the most and almost 4 inches wide. I was wondering if I could make a strop out of that stuff or do I have to have longer pieces? This was a good topic.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by topherloaf

Interesting because I have some red latigo laying around that isn't very long, maybe a foot at the most and almost 4 inches wide. I was wondering if I could make a strop out of that stuff or do I have to have longer pieces? This was a good topic.

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If I had that I would probably split it into 2" pieces and make a couple of pasted paddles. Alternatively leave it one piece and make a flatbed or paddle. IMO it is a bit short to make a hanging strop.

I have 3 vintage Russian 2 1/2" and 2 latigo and horse 3" strops. - I like 3" better

My current strop is 2 3/4". I recently made another cloth strop out of a cotton web belt that's 1 1/4" wide. I think 2" would be about perfect. I went with 2" considering the experience.

I gotta go with 2 inches. Started with a 2 inch, "upgraded" to a 2 and a half but slowly found that I kept going back to the 2 inch. As clavichord said in the original post, I think it gives more control.

All strops that I have tried are less than perfect flatness-wise. That makes it essentially impossible to take advantage of the full width anyway. I have seen the instructions that come with strops from well-respected strop-makers and they discuss how to deal with curl, so I assume it is a prevalent situation. It is just much more of a problem on a wide strop.

Maybe if I was going to spend two or three hundred dollars on a strop that wouldn't be a problem, but those strops are narrow anyway! Or maybe I just need to buy five or six more strops to try out!

The three is nice - straight up and down - I just have to watch about keeping it dead pan flat

The 2.5 is great on the X pattern but have not had it long enough to have an opinion if the X pattern would be easier on the 2 inch strop. The only reason I say that is that (based on my current experience) I currently feel like I would be able to do a better X with a 2 inch strop. not sure why yet.

For me the verdict is still out - I think I need to order a 2inch strop to test my theory but 3 strops with felt, linen, cotton seems a bit excessive so early on.

I like at least 2 inches of strop space, and a good long stretch of leather. My next strop is going to be a 3" for sure.

Now, after some days testing my new 2" wide TM strops, I can say that 2" really is my preferred width. And thanks for voting in this poll!