I know I should place this in the review section, but I haven't had it long enough for a total, thorough test. Give me another week or so and I will rate it to the number system.
This is the latest and greatest SRD strop taken from Dons' tight grip with the right hand, while giving Lynn the cash with the left hand. I caused such a ruckus trying to get this, that one fella almost busted me upside the noggin' with a 3' DE replica (good thing he didn't have blades for it. Seriously, Jerry R. had one, and it weighed 20 pounds at least, pretty cool).
First and foremost, for me anyways, was the 3" width. All my current ones are 2 1/2". I know this is nothing new, but it was to me and liked it. I also liked that when I layed the blade down on it, all points made contact letting me know it was flat and no work was required in that department.
It is in the the design of their previous "premium series", with the exception of being 2" longer. I did not think of that being a factor until I did a comparative test to my 3 other strops, and must say that I like the extra length. I called it the runoff area. Good call guys.
Now to the meat and taters part. It is made of an English Bridle leather. Bridle leather screams of stiffness and durability. Lynn spoke of a "secret treatment" to the leather to gain flexibility and reduce break in times. Don was still looking for the blade to the 3' DE to cut me with while Lynn was telling me the facts. The jist of it was that the leather is basically "broken in" before manufacture while maintaining the durability known for saddle leather.
I have, up to this point, stropped 20 razors on it (10 razors yesterday, 10 different razors today), as well as the same 20 on my other strops. This was in no particular order of razor or strop. No progressive steps, just strop, set down, grab another razor, strop, use another strop, so forth and so on. I just tried to mix it up and go on feel alone.
It seemed very fast at first with decent draw. After about 10-15 razors the speed was still fast but noticed substanstially more draw. More draw usually slows me down, but this thing was smooth and fast. I'm liking it thus far. I would think that as for giving a "break in period" it really has none. It was so forgiving that you could rub your palm up and down it several times to work it in (which I did this evening and it felt as pliable as my Latigo i've had for 2+ years).
I know fit and finish is another big thing people rate on, but come on, it's rings and clasps and fasteners. What else is there you ask. I've seen something on this one I haven't seen, tooled edging. It is die cut to shape and hand tooled on the edges to round and smooth them out. No big deal on perfect blades, but for those blades that need rolling and running the edge of hones for sharpening, you get a strop that has smooth edges for the same detail finishes as your fine hones. You also don't run the risk of rolling a good blades edge over on a crisp strop edge. Very forgiving yet very workable for irregular blades.
Feedback is a weak point for me with all my strops, but I could tell if I was drawing or just wasting a stroke with this one. It is hard to explain in words but I could just feel if I was "sticking" with this one more so than the others. The best I can come up with for comparision is a finely honed blade on a 12k chinese with only water, or add a drop or 2 of dishwashing detergent and feel the difference. It sucks it in a bit more. Kind of an extreme comparison because the feel is not that profound, but you can "feel" it.
To sum it up, a newbie strop it is not. Learning curves go to a lesser strop. It is not a travel strop either.. Hang it with pride and use it for life. English bridle leather without a doubt should last a lifetime. The break in period has already been done for you. Fit, finish and end results I feel surpasses what a regular such as myself, would expect. Sorry SRD, I may not ever need another strop. You still have soaps though.
I would be in error not to mention the cloth portion of the strop which I felt was totally worthy of any additive you wish to apply and true and flat as any I've seen. My only negative is that, personally, I would have preferred a hard felt over a web. I guess I need to talk to the service department for a custom, I suppose. Of course I haven't really tried additives on webbing on my other strops with web.
Don finally found a W&B meat chopper taken from someones table and swore if I posted pictures before it hit their website he would shave me to the shoulderblades. He also stated something about the new SRD logo on the strop if shown before it hit the site he would shave my nether regions with a chain saw. By then I was taking him pretty seriously.
In all honesty, it is only the 2nd time I have met those two gentlemen, and not only are they passionate about their products, they only want to promote what is best for our hobby / interests. I have no relation to their products, but know they stand by them and their word is fair and just. Two stand up guys - Thanks.
Jerry
