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I'm a newbie and all the choices in strops is a little confusing. I have noticed some people stating they start with one kind of strop and then change to a different kind to complete their stropping. Is there a good reason to use more than one kind of strop for the same razor? If so what do you start with and what do you switch to?
Lori
More strops, more hones, more razors, more toys--we're not a monogamous bunch! Functionally, maybe there is a slight improvement, but one good strop with quality linen and leather is all you really need. It's just a matter of what you want!
What he said one nice strop with leather and some type of other component (linen, canvas, pressed wool, nylon) will get the job done. A lot of guys have multiple strops cause they put paste and sprays on some to do some really sharpening to their blades.
I'm new here only about a month or so. Here is what I say get as many strops as you can! Be a true SAP
LoriB,
When I started, I used to do 50 passes on a high-draw latigo strop, followed by 25 on a low draw strop (e.g. horsehide).
I have now stopped that and just use a single leather type (either latigo or tallow tanned) as Utopian has suggested :)
The notion was that the high-draw strop did what strops do quicker than low-draw strops, and that the low draw strop put the final filip to the edge.
For me, with my blades, I couldn't prove if that was true or not, so I went to using the single leather type and my blades shave equally well.
Have fun !
Best regards
Russ
I have multiple strops for one reason: I like strops.
The feel of the leather is so different on many of them, that sometimes it's just nice to say "Ahhh yes, well today we'll go Premium fabric and Premium III", or whatever. Sometimes I like to strop sitting down.....so I have a modular strop to accommodate that.
Other than that, they all pretty much do the same thing.
Hello, LoriB:
All you need is one strop with linen, canvas or nylon on one side and leather on the other. If you intend to use pastes for touching up your razors, then a second strop is a must, since you should keep your daily strop pristine.
I have five strops for daily use, which I rotate according to what razor I use, and two separate strops that are pasted for touching up razors.
Do I really need that many strops? No, I don't. Then again, I like to pad my stash just in case the world comes to an end.
Regards,
Obie
I have a bunch of strops. I used to have more. To me they all do the same job so one is really all you need for daily stropping. So why do I have so many? I don't know. It's guys like that Obie Fella who seem to exert some strange control over you and make you buy these silly things.
It's a good thing I'm not that way with razors or I'd have over a hundred..oh wait I do-Har har.
I mean, really. But then I am a sucker for beautiful things. I had the SRD bridal strop when I started seeing double over the Premium I. In between nostalgia overcame me and I ended with the Illinois 127 and 827. Almost two years ago I had already bought a small two-inch Tony Miller strop with a tether, which I use for travels.Quote:
Originally Posted by thebigspendur
Then there are the razors. I had promised to stop at a maximum of seven, but I made it as far as a modest 30. That's it, no more — until another lovely straight razor winks at me. As for the double edge, one is all you need. Well, I've made it to 16 thus far. No more. That's it — until I find a Gillette Red Tip, Black Tip, Blue Tip, and a flare tip and a Toggle and ball tip and a . . .
There's no hope.
"It's all your fault," I told dearly beloved. She flashed a smile and said, "Yes, sure, I couldn't live without all those razors."
Ah, what're you going to do?
Regards,
Obie
I have three strops. My first one I ever bought and now no longer use and two that I made myself. One of those is a smaller travel strop and the other is my at home strop...Oh hang on I do have another one that I made that is my 'other home' strop and lives out at the family property for when I'm out working. Those that I have made myself are all single sided ('Roo) leather and I have found no need for anything else, but that may just be me.
Mick
Sounds like multiple strops are almost inevitable like moths to a flame. It's just a different reason than I expected. :D
Thanks for explaining it to me.
Lori
At the moment I have 4 vintage, 1 SRD and 3 home made strops and love them all!
all you honestly need is a strop with a canvas and a leather side to them. if you decide you want to have a collection of strops thats up to you buy you only NEED 1.
ok, here's the story....
I have several strops, one looks kinda like untanned or lightly tanned, or more raw, attached to a highly tanned black strop that is very slick and hard.
The dope I bought the strop from folded it and shoved it in a box, wrinkling the raw hide looking strop. The hard leather strop survived the fold, amazingly. So I just purchased a 'Big Daddy' from another shaving shop.
The 'Daddy' has a felt or canvas strop with the leather strop.
Here's the unanswered part of my question....
Which do you use when and why? Do you start on the softer and work to the slicker (harder) leather. Start on the felt (wool, canvas, whatever) and then finish on the leather?
Common sense say's to use the softer, move to the harder, but why would I need more than one? They sell them together so there must be the intent. I'm just not sure I get it.. :)
Thanks!!!
Yes, start on the wool, felt, canvas, whatever side and then finish on the leather. This would be what you would do before each shave. Regarding the other leather/leather combo strop, I don't know without seeing it but I would guess that you could apply paste to the softer side and use the harder side for normal stropping, or you could paste both.
Or you could just soak the wrinkled side in some warm water for a few minutes and lay some heavy flat items on top of it 'til it's dry, to see if that will smooth the leather out. Be sure not to pull or stretch at the wet leather though. Just wet and weight.
Mick