Thread: Beginner strop on the cheap

Hi guys,

What are the requirements of a basic strop then, what is it that makes the £50 strops better than the cheap £10 strops from China on eBay?

I'm currently looking around for a strop and I've read about strops being made out of different materials etc., do you need more than 1 type of strop or will 1 strop suffice for all?

Thanks,

Originally Posted by Strops

Hi guys,

What are the requirements of a basic strop then, what is it that makes the £50 strops better than the cheap £10 strops from China on eBay?

I'm currently looking around for a strop and I've read about strops being made out of different materials etc., do you need more than 1 type of strop or will 1 strop suffice for all?

Thanks,

I know that there are many members, actually probably all of them, that are more knowledgeable than myself in the realm of stropping. My understanding for what it is worth is that for the most part you just need one leather strop but that it is nice to have two so that on rare occasions you can use paste on one which will lengthen the time required between honings. I think that as guthriemt was saying above that you can actually use some strips of old jeans to accomplish that task as well as being used as a separate strop...

Hope that wasn't too convoluted...

Also, if you are into making your own supplies and tools and the such then check in your area for a saddle or western wear leather worker. I finally found a guy where I am living that will sell me his left over leather scraps, which happen to be the exact dimensions that I think would be helpful for a strop, for ridiculously cheap.

heres a picture of my DIY gear. (nothing fancy) everything here cost me about $10 that included enough leather for 2 more strops, the rivets and the 3" buckle i use as a handle and 2 "d-rings". watch your eyes guys, this stuff is a little hard to look at.

Originally Posted by elheisenberg

heres a picture of my DIY gear. (nothing fancy) everything here cost me about $10 that included enough leather for 2 more strops, the rivets and the 3" buckle i use as a handle and 2 "d-rings". watch your eyes guys, this stuff is a little hard to look at.

That looks great!!

RupRazor - The Filly

Originally Posted by shooter74743

RupRazor - The Filly

That looks like a nice entry level strop, but for that price I'd definately look into making your own or saving $10 more and buy from starshaving.com, I am by no means an expert on stropping but I can tell you from experience, the first strop I made was built similarly in such way that it had only one hole on top and one on bottom and when I would pull on the end to strop, the leather would become distorted and the razor would not make full contact with the leather. Just MHO.

Originally Posted by elheisenberg

That looks like a nice entry level strop, but for that price I'd definately look into making your own or saving $10 more and buy from starshaving.com, I am by no means an expert on stropping but I can tell you from experience, the first strop I made was built similarly in such way that it had only one hole on top and one on bottom and when I would pull on the end to strop, the leather would become distorted and the razor would not make full contact with the leather. Just MHO.

I'm sure your sage old advice is appreciated & your strops you have made work just fine. I will be polite and simply state that for the money (that price includes shipping), Ken's strops are top notch & a best bang for the buck anywhere. Oh ya, Ken is a straight razor user as well. I have given several away and still have two Filly's that I have attached to a paddle. If you are distorting the leather, you are not stropping properly.

To the OP: Please stay away from Ebay, there is an awful lot of junk on there & I would hate to see you make the pitfalls I made when starting out. Cardboard, newspaper...look around to see if a veteran shaver uses them or would make such a recommendation. If you are a craftsman/handy with your hands, by all means you can look into making a strop. If you are looking into purchasing a strop the one I listed is one you should add to your considerations. If you buy it & don't like it, I will purchase it from you.

Originally Posted by shooter74743

I'm sure your sage old advice is appreciated & your strops you have made work just fine. I will be polite and simply state that for the money (that price includes shipping), Ken's strops are top notch & a best bang for the buck anywhere. Oh ya, Ken is a straight razor user as well. I have given several away and still have two Filly's that I have attached to a paddle. If you are distorting the leather, you are not stropping properly.

To the OP: Please stay away from Ebay, there is an awful lot of junk on there & I would hate to see you make the pitfalls I made when starting out. Cardboard, newspaper...look around to see if a veteran shaver uses them or would make such a recommendation. If you are a craftsman/handy with your hands, by all means you can look into making a strop. If you are looking into purchasing a strop the one I listed is one you should add to your considerations. If you buy it & don't like it, I will purchase it from you.

Yes I did see that, and I was in no way bashing Kens strop, I've never even used one of his strops... I simply stated my opinion from my personal experience with single hole strops? Sorry if I insulted anyone, it wasn't my intention.

Originally Posted by Bdnield

Thanks for all the ideas and opinions!

Probably the biggest reason I didn't mention looking at the "$15 eBay" strops was that:
1. Most are in China
2. They are half the width I would like to learn to strop with, screw that "x" stuff while learning!

I got a hold of a western wear store here that will sell me two straps of 18"x3" for $5, which is much more comforting that buying some scraps off eBay. Plus SWMBO is happy about this route.

That sounds like a great deal! Where is this Western Store????????

Originally Posted by dkshave

That sounds like a great deal! Where is this Western Store????????

Rexburg, ID. The guy hooked me up, two 36x3 pieces for the $5. They are just scraps, look where you live for a saddle maker or something along those lines and they should have some to sell.