Thread: Can you do without the strop?

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

I think Howard's point is not that the strop is un-needed for genral use but he wants a minimal kit for ease of use on the road. A hone is much smaller than a paddle or hanging strop. In trade off though he is adding a honing every shave. A step is not really being skipped here (stropping), but a different one is being substituted (honing).

Last year I actually made a bunch of "Pocket Strops" which were 2" x 4" wooden/leather hones. Many were bought with pastes on both sides and used just for travel since they were so small. I did a run of strop back hones too using some of Tilly's barber hones.

His is just another innovative approach to get the job done.

Yes, Tony, you understood my point.

It is indeed a trade off of one technique for another. A couple of licks on the hone is quite a bit quicker and less fuss than stropping. However, 20 stokes on each side of a fine handmade strop while the lather softens up my beard is a truly enjoyable part of my shave.

Originally Posted by Joe Lerch

your technique is wearing out your razor seven times faster.

No argument there. See my first post in this thread, in which I noted the possibility of increased wear. However, with the hone I'm using the rate of wear when honing is insignificant, to me.

Here's an interesting old traveling barber's kit from a recent e-bay auction.



Of particular interest is that it contains a hone but no strop.

Of course, the strop may have dissapeared in the years since this was last used, but the kit seems complete otherwise.

It may be that this is not a new idea.