Thread: Using leather belt as a strop?

Is there any reason a genuine leather belt would not work as a strop?

No

Lots of stuff can be used to strop a razor.

I guess it depends on what you are stropping; I have an old weight lifting belt modified to strop my knives.
if razors are what you are referring to, well,,,,how wide is the belt, what condition is in & 'Why would you want to?"
With so many cheap, good strops around that are manufactured to service the razor, choose one of them.

If you need a more detailed explanation on belts vs razor strops, then someone else with more of a background in strops, may answer your question.

Carlmaloschneider's son uses and has used for some time his belt to strop on, but I am not entirely sure why, it obviously works though.

I did once upon a time. There was no internet then. It was the only nice piece of leather I could find and had no idea I could use other material or that they were still being made. The belt needs to be new as wrinkles are bad, and without tooling. Are you looking for an interim strop

It should be fine if it is strong leather. If it stretches too much when you pull it taught, then I would say no. If it stretches too much while stropping it could ruin the edge.

dkshave,

In the early 1990s I used the belt from a Sam Browne to strop on as strops were very hard to find in those old, pre-InterWeb days.

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

I use a leather bound portfolio from work, works like a charm.

Hey, I know what a Sam Brown is. I use to wear one on the job. That was a hard profession to make both friends and a living at.

As for using a belt as a strop, it is what I used when I was a teenager. I didn't have anything else and where would I have purchased a nice strop in those days anyway. I'd girth it through the buckle over a rung of a ladder back chair, step my foot on the seat and strop away. Things seemed to be so much more simple then.

Get a good quality, well made strop and take care of it.

Regards

Chasmo

It depends on the belt and more importantly your stropping skill. Stropping on leather is the last thing you do to an edge before you put it to your face. It will affect the edge as a crown will to a bullet as it leaves the barrel.

The better the quality, ( lack of imperfections) and your skill, the better the edge. Better than an old leather belt for a novice stropper, is a nylon/poly strop available from most fabric stores for a few dollars. It will be smoother, flatter and more cut proof. The resulting edge will be the same or better until your skill level improves.

Do not lift the spine until you stop moving the razor.