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So I'm a broke-as-a-joke college kid and am not too keen on spending the little money I have. Is it reasonable to use a leather belt that I have (and don't use) as a strop? It's nice soft genuine leather. If so, what sort of stropping compound should I be looking at getting for a dull old straight razor I picked up at a random antique market in France today?
Well, a leather belt has been known to substitute for a strop on occasion around here. The only real issue is the width, usually, and sometimes the finish - but if it's a nice soft leather then that should be OK.
I'm not sure stropping compound will do the trick on a really dull old blade from an antiques market. Generally those kinds of razors need work on hones I'm afraid. Even if you were to get a coarse stropping compound that may help set the bevel (not sure that exists), you'd need a progression of higher grit compounds (on different strops) to get the edge up to a shaving standard.
Sorry to be the bearer of bad tidings, but I don't think you'll be able to use the razor you bought while you are overseas unless you can find someone there to hone it for you. I may be wrong, the razor might be almost ready to shave with, but it is highly unlikely.
James.
First, are you sure the belt really is leather. Most belts are made of composite materials and even if it says genuine leather most are not. If it is, as long as it's free of marks and imperfections you could feel with a razor as you strop it would probably work.
On another forum I have seen folks claim they can bring a razor back from the dead with a strop and coarse compound but I don't know about that having never seen it myself..
As Jimbo mentioned above, if you can "hone" with stropping compounds it will take a bunch of different compounds and strops to get the razor where it needs to be. Being a college student and father of two I recognize not having much extra money but it will be much cheaper to send your razor off to get honed rather than stripping it back to life. Check out member services for honemeisters.