Thread: Need a strop

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Or if you go to the beach wearing your leather belt it might pick up some abrasive.

With your sandals and white socks.

Seriously, cut up an old pair of jeans. I still use this even with all the leather strops I have.

I owned only Tony Miller strops for over 6 years...3 of them, two hanging and one 4 sided pasted paddle...still have 2 of them and I consider them to be superb. WITH THAT SAID..... my latest strop purchase within the last two months was a Kanayama #3 and it is pretty much all I ever use since receiving it. I love..love...LOVE it. I sold one of the TM's but will always keep my original circa 2007 Tony Miller, but I keep it for sentimental reasons only. The Kanayama is what I would recommend to any person who wants a luxury minimalist strop. The #3 comes with a suede component that I enjoy as well. I can't guarantee it effects the edge like a cloth/linen component but it sure seems to warm up the edge for the fine finishing of the shell.

I've had a ton of different strops, including a Kanayama (Llama brand) and to this date I keep two around. A Tony Miller and a SRD modular strop.

Don't have any plans on ever buying another.

It's all about what you want to spend.

Cheap: old leather belt (FREE! If you steal it.)

Good: SRD Premium IV English Bridle (my daily use strop, $84.99)

Better: Kanayama #3 Cordovan (A LOT of bang for the buck, $104, plus $32 if you want to add a linen third componant)

Best: Kanayama 90K ($304), Neil Miller Cordovan ($307)

Understand that at the "Best" level, you are paying for an heirloom, not just a strop.

Unless you're loaded (when I was an E-5 I was not...), my recommendation: the SRD Premium IV. Good strop, good linen, all parts replaceable (so after you nick the hell out of it learning how to strop you can replace the strop surface at a minimal cost.) Also, you can easily loosely roll the strop for stowage. As an old 11B myself, I'm all about lighter and tighter. But then again, how bright can I be, I asked for Infantry...

Man this is getting better by the minute. .. great write and even better interaction. .. Thanks everyone for your suggestions. .. believe me it means a lot to me. .. Thanks to your services vets u still lead the way. You guys rock.

Originally Posted by entropy1049

It's all about what you want to spend.

Cheap: old leather belt (FREE! If you steal it.)

Good: SRD Premium IV English Bridle (my daily use strop, $84.99)

Better: Kanayama #3 Cordovan (A LOT of bang for the buck, $104, plus $32 if you want to add a linen third componant)

Best: Kanayama 90K ($304), Neil Miller Cordovan ($307)

Understand that at the "Best" level, you are paying for an heirloom, not just a strop.

Unless you're loaded (when I was an E-5 I was not...), my recommendation: the SRD Premium IV. Good strop, good linen, all parts replaceable (so after you nick the hell out of it learning how to strop you can replace the strop surface at a minimal cost.) Also, you can easily loosely roll the strop for stowage. As an old 11B myself, I'm all about lighter and tighter. But then again, how bright can I be, I asked for Infantry...

hahaha, good news I'm E6 now so I got some spare cash to spend!

Originally Posted by Sergeant

hahaha, good news I'm E6 now so I got some spare cash to spend!

Congrats SSGT! Don't spend it all in one place (lol). You definitely deserve to spend a little bit of that Fat Government Pay Check () on a nice strop! Hell, I authorize you to do it specifically from my tax dollars call it a gift!

And Thanks for doing your bit, don't let any of us old farts BS you about how easy you got it. I know how much time you AD guys are spending on the line. A kid I know (Combat Engineer) was deployed for about 400 days. His squad ran almost 300 patrols.

Well gents... I did it, I pulled the trigger. .. SRD module paddle. Fine leather, 2 felt , leather scrub and a bottle of. 5 Dimond spray. .. Thank you everyone. Now the hunt for a brush. Leaving toward the Simpson Duke 3, thoughts? If yougot an old one and want to sell, please keep me in mind.

Congrats on the strop, you'll love it. As far as brushes, I like the cheaper boar types.

Are you a face latherer or a bowl latherer? Do you like very soft or more "scritchy" brushes? What would you like to spend, Duke 3 money? Do you like a bigger brush? Is "store-ability" a concern?