Thread: First strop, buy or make?

Hey guys, in preparation for the arrival of my razor I'm trying to figure out whether I'll be better off buying a strop or simply making one myself, i've seen a thread in the strop section where Edhewitt made his own strop from denim and this somewhat inspired me to an extent. The only real problem i face with making my own strop is knowing where to get REAL denim and if it's expensive, i have old jeans but I'm not sure how well the denim will work as a strop compared to leather ( the jeans are very old). So basically, are denim or homemade strops effective or a pile of rubbish?(I trust they are not too rubbish as Ed made one.)

Originally Posted by MrPeters

[COLOR=#800000]...are denim or homemade strops effective or a pile of rubbish?

Depends how you make them. Mine, top grain leather (2.5" x 22") on one side and polyester webbing (3.0" x 22") on the other works fine. Not fancy but, uncupped, strops a lovely job. Price - $0 from scrap around the shop. Go by the saddlery guy and pick up some leather or go buy a tent and awning or upholstery guy and get some heavy fabric scraps. Or cut up some old jeans. It all works.

Originally Posted by MisterMoo

Depends how you make them. Mine, top grain leather (2.5" x 22") on one side and polyester webbing (3.0" x 22") on the other works fine. Not fancy but, uncupped, strops a lovely job. Price - $0 from scrap around the shop. Go by the saddlery guy and pick up some leather or go buy a tent and awning or upholstery guy and get some heavy fabric scraps. Or cut up some old jeans. It all works.

I live in a very rural place and know many people with stables so maybe they could point me in the direction of leather; as for making the strop, i don't want anything fancy, just simple and effective i have the tools at my grandfather's shed, how do you think a 3-sided strop would fare?(Would it be overkill?) Leather, polyester & denim?

Don't assume that just because I made something its not rubbish, nice of you though, if you have the time and can get the parts cheaply/ freely then make a few and see how you go with different stuff. I think razorfeld was thinking of trying out a few different fabrics.
Old jeans might work well, the soft cotton webbing I tried was good.
Fabric shops will sell material in 100mm wide strips if you ask them nicely,the rolls are generally 1.2m wide so you could get 2 strops out of it.

Best to have a clean strop for everyday use, leather and fabric. And if you want to use pastes a second strop with components suitable for the pastes/abrasives you want. Any abrasive could transfer from one component to another if they were attached. That could make for an unpleasant surprise.

Strops are one area it is easy to diy well. I look forward to see what you make.

Jonathan

If it is a three part strop Id go linen, textured leather and smooth leather. Linen can be any fabric or webbing. Like Ed I used cotton flax 3inch webbing. Couple of handles loops and rivets and your away. Technically though all you NEED is leather.

Originally Posted by MrPeters

I live in a very rural place and know many people with stables so maybe they could point me in the direction of leather; as for making the strop, i don't want anything fancy, just simple and effective i have the tools at my grandfather's shed, how do you think a 3-sided strop would fare?(Would it be overkill?) Leather, polyester & denim?

I like the poly webbing fine for honing performance with CrOx but it is noisy (zzzzip-zzzzip-zzzzzip) under the blade; will evaluate some spun acylic this week as an alternative to linen, flannel or poly/nylon.

Originally Posted by eddy79

...Linen can be any fabric or webbing...

Linen, to me, means a flax-specific woven. Is that what you refer to or are you considering linen to be a generic woven (natural) fiber?

Some of us are using a 2 1/2 inch cotton webbing which works great with a light application of blackboard chalk. Oldtimey barbers often chalked their linen side for a light abrasiveness.

Damon, did you read all that you can find in the SRP Wiki? A basis for everything before you start your own doings. I've stole a few minutes out of my day yesterday to make a bench strop. One side denim and the other a linen like fabric. Used contact cement on particle board. Can't try it out till tomorrow due to prior commitments. Like mrsell63's suggestion of blackboard chalk. Will try that on the linen side. Will let everybody know when it happens. Also have to unearth a couple of not so good steels that I wouldn't shave a dog with but can sacrifice .