Printable View
First and foremost thanks everyone for all the help on this site.
Anyways I have a strop I bought on amazon. Its by no means high quality but it works. At least I've been shaving off of several edges that get stropped on it.
Here's the question. What is the benefit of a nicer/better strop? Keener edge? Less strokes to arrive at shaving edge?
Hope to get some good insight so I can justify ditching my current strop for a fancy one.
If your strop is working, you are not nicking it, you are probably fine. If you want to upgrade there are lots of beautiful strops out there in 2 1/2 and 3 inch. I nicked up two strops before settling on an English bridle and could not be happier with my choice. As for benefit of better quality leather or material. I suppose only a microscope could really show the difference. My nice one looks better. It is a little longer making me feel better in my stroke.
Harder strop, to me, brings a keener edge once it's broken in. I like horse products, but haven't tried any of the more expensive cow or any other leather strops from the good makers.
There are two things to consider in a strop, to me:
1) how does it strop when it's new
2) how will it strop when it's broken in
I don't care so much about 1 if 2 is good, and good to me is hard and slick. Whatever is the case, any strop will likely change between 1 and 2, and I wouldn't write most strops off until they've at least had a couple of hundred razors on them to give a hint about how they'll be when broken in.
My hanging strops right now are a piece of horween shell (that I made into a strop), which is fantastic, and a separate piece of hanging horse butt strip (which was coarse and a bit scuffy until it broke in, but is now mirror) that has really turned out to be my favorite strop, despite being very cheap (I paid $25 for a butt strip and cut it out and put it on hardware from a cheap strop that wasn't very good).
I've had about a half dozen reasonably decent cow leather strops, and they do work, but have more draw and I never get an edge quite as keen from them. With as much leather as I have around, I couldn't justify the expense of a "good" cow leather strop made by one of the current makers. The ones I've tried so far are in the $50 and under range.
When you make your own, you have more options, but you also have the burden of experimentation (you might work with something and not end up with a very good strop). In my case, the veg tanned butt strip would never be saleable from a professional maker because it's scratchy at first, and I had strop my shaving razor on another strop every day and then strop a junk razor on the butt strip - did that for about a month or a month in a half until the butt strip left the junk razor at a high polish and then was able to use it for regular duty.
At any rate, I don't think you'll find much that reduces the # of strokes in a given format (e.g., comparing a hanging strop to another hanging strop), but you might find various things will provide you with levels of draw or crispness in edges that you prefer.
That makes sense. And like I said my current strop works but without comparison I'm not sure how well.
Thanks.
What are the dimensions of your strop ?
What type ? single, double ?
Leather / wool-felt / synthetic ?
More info (and a pic) please !!
2x18. Leather finished on one side rough on the other. Also has a second strop that's vinyl faux leather with a felt backing.
No pic right now headed to work
All of what's been said above, plus a few other points to consider. Many veterans (though not all) lean towards 3" strops, and find them easier to use. Secondly, by all means learn a good stroke that you can repeat infinitely, without really even thinking about it, on that low-end strop. Good technique will get you most of the way to a shaving edge, and once you are no longer nicking it up, by all means save your pennies for a nicer strop (though I didn't even take my own advice-started out on a nice Tony Miller which, thankfully, I nicked only minimally while learning!).
Experiment with as many strops as you can as you learn what surfaces (cloth and leather) work best for you. I started out on a Tony Miller Heirloom 3" linen and latigo. My son now has it at college. So I'm now stropping on a custom job in English bridle made by our very own Kevin/Hidesoart, and loving it-less draw, but leaves a nice, smooth edge, and an absolute work of functional art. On my radar if funds ever permit are a kangaroo strop, and what seems to be the holy grail now, expensive shell cordovan.
Much of what drives the price on the custom bespoke strops includes yes, finer leathers/treatments and hand craftsmanship, but also superior hardware and hanging devices. Though many guys probably strop just fine on inexpensive or home-made "belt" type strops (you can even get great edges off of the colored comics section of the Sunday paper-remember those?), many also rave with good reason over the Bisons, Kanayamas,Tony Millers, Neil Millers, and Hidestoart strops. Just like you can shave with a $10 Ebay special, or a $500 custom. The choice, and the money, is yours. In any case, let us know what you end up with!
I've been making/using strops for wood carving tools for about 25 years. What I have learned is that different leathers have a different feel to them (draw) while stropping. I like the heavy draw, but some prefer a light draw. Does it make a difference in the sharpness of the blade? Not that I can tell. The only difference that I have noticed is that on the light draw leathers I may have to make about 5 additional travels. Or maybe it's just a psychological thing on my part.
The reason I prefer the heavy draw is because I can feel/hear the blade on the leather better than I can with the light draw. I learned which type I prefer by using different strop materials and testing on other peoples' strops.
What's the benefit of a nice fancy strop? Well it looks cooler! And if you think its cooler then you will enjoy it more - which is what this journey is all about.
I'll admit the following: When I purchased my nice strop (a premium 1 from SRD) a few weeks ago I narrowed it down to two of them and then chose the one that would look the best in the bathroom.
Of course, I guess I could redo the bathroom and then I'd have an excuse to buy the other strop ;)
that makes sense. so its more about feeling than anythingQuote:
Originally Posted by criswilson10
This thread is a great read. Thanks to all.
I agree. I just thought more expensive meant better results.Quote:
Originally Posted by mglindo
Exactly.
Feel and personal preference.
I personally prefer the lighter draw of vintage shell and narrow strops. I have 3" but hardly use it because of the heavy draw. Haven't gotten to try shell at 3" and don't really see a need. The narrower strops work just fine.
Personally if I never tried another strop I'm content with mine. Because I get good results. Just thought there were better results to be had on a better strop
Perhaps because most of our strops are made from pastured animals...the grass is always greener..?
hey it seems that everything in wet shaving is tat way but there are we aspects where some products are in fact better than others.Quote:
Originally Posted by Ozarkedger
True that. I could blow a fortune trying new products and it might just turn out that way!
In my opinion it is definitely about feel and preference, and not just price.
My $85 SRD strop works just as well as my ugly, homemade $10 strop, but the SRD strop looks better hanging in my bathroom and my homemade strop looks better hanging in my workshop.
Just to echo what everyone else said, they all do the same thing as long as it's a quality strop. Maybe if you spend a wad on a strop just using it makes you feel better and that may translate to you doing a better job stropping. Who knows?
I had a strop form a kit that was tooo small so I bought a piece of horses butt. It has a smooth grain compared to other critters. I burnished it to make it even smoother. Think (shell) (cordavan) (whatever) No draw and as slick as my face when I am done shaving. I have worked leather for 30 years. Not making strops or anything professional. The belt I am wearing I made, My 100 year old saddle has stirrups I made myself to save the old ones. Would I like a nice Neil Miller strop? Hell yes :<0) I just can't get past myself. I have the tools and the knowledge so I am sort of stuck. Stropping with confidence and purpose is done when your happy with what you using. Get what ever it takes to get you there.
that make a lot of sense. I feel that way about my razors. I don't have one that's necessarily better than another but the enjoyment I get out of some makes them feel like they outperform.Quote:
Originally Posted by 10Pups
hmm...
same thing with brushes?
Brushes have a lot more variables. I have had a ton of those and still have a half ton. They are cheap until you start adding new knots. I have 5 swinging in the medicine cabinet. I use 2 most of the time. The silver tip badger most but when I need a face scrub I go to the Black. 2 horse for cream when I have the time(which I can't remember that time), and a Grey which is the in between. It still smells like the part of the badger that went over the stump last, so I don't use it much yet. But yeah , for me, when I find what works it's hard to change. All the brushes and soaps have narrowed down to a couple each. The rest is excess. I could have stayed at the black and silver had I known what I know now.
I have to admit that I can be lazy too. Here is my strop set up. Unattached to the wood and 18 months of wear.
Attachment 169500
A piece of nice and soft vintage linen and horses butt. They see a 100 laps a day. I have made 6 paddles and I have 5 or 6 very nice restored vintage hanging strops. This set up was at my hone bench where I did 7 or 8 every Sunday and then moved them into the bathroom. Then I just moved the strops and they have been there ever since. What can I say, " it works". :<0)
that's beautiful...Quote:
Originally Posted by 10Pups
sent that's where I'm lost is all the different types of brushes. currently I'm using a vdh boar hair and it does OK and of everything in my kit that's the one thing I don't enjoy using. its more of a necessary evil right now. same with my current soap.
Like anything there will be a point of diminishing returns, though that will depend on what you are looking for in the strop, if its edge quality on your razor that would be at a lower price point than if you are looking for the cool factor.Quote:
Originally Posted by ncraigtrn
Strops are like hones its such a personal choice. Anything above 8k is shave ready but everyone uses ?k naturals, Jnats etc. I have 5 strops, roo(homemade), SRD english bridle, SRD latigo, Illinois Razor co 827 and a Pelican(made by Kanayama). I could shave and maintain a razor off any of them. I always use the Illinios after honing and it works a treat. The pelican is my favourite and the one I believe gives the best edge but is also the most expensive. Does that make it worth the extra cost. Maybe not but then again I don't need 5 strops or 40 razors or.... I have them though
