SZCO Strop?

Hi I am getting my first strop and was considering a Fromm ( http://www.amazon.ca/gp/product/B001...A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB ) that is the one in question but I came across the other one from SZCO Supplies, not too sure about them but this strop has a canvas side in addition to the leather. http://www.amazon.ca/SZCO-Supplies-1...A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB

So my question is if anyone knows about SZCO and if I should trust it or go with the Fromm which doesn't have a canvas side. Also is the canvas side necessary?

Hope you can help!

Thanks

Hey there. I don't have personal experience with either, but geez $12 for the SZCO, seems like you could barely ship it for that. Price doesn't always reflect quality, and some things can surprise you, but that cheap my gut would say it could have issues? However you could always return it through Amazon. Strops don't have to be fancy, but you want to know that you're getting a nice consistent piece of leather. I bought some leather at one time thinking I'd make one, but it had a bunch of discontinuities that made it really unusable.
Have you looked at Straight Razor Designs? I think they go as low as $49 for a Latigo, and great customer service obviously.

I had one similar to the Fromm strop you linked, it had a synthetic fabric side.

While Ive never heard of SCZO it resembles by the photograph like the Prima Rindleder strops that are always re branded with different badges. Dovo, Col. Ichabod, etc.
I think it will work just fine. Other then the hardware being a bit flimsy looking.
While the posters previously steer you to premium leathers. That's great and all, but for someone who is brand spanking new at this and is not sure if this is a passion that's gonna be a keeper, then why not start off with an economy kit?
I still own my first Dove Russian (cheap strop) well over 7 years now and it still strops properly.
J.M.H.O.

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Originally Posted by freddyjabster

Hi I am getting my first strop and was considering a Fromm ( Fromm Razor Strop 2 1/2-Inch X 23-Inch: Amazon.ca: Health & Personal Care ) that is the one in question but I came across the other one from SZCO Supplies, not too sure about them but this strop has a canvas side in addition to the leather. http://www.amazon.ca/SZCO-Supplies-1...A3DWYIK6Y9EEQB

So my question is if anyone knows about SZCO and if I should trust it or go with the Fromm which doesn't have a canvas side. Also is the canvas side necessary?

Hope you can help!

Thanks

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I don't use fabric strops, but a lot of folks do, in fact probably the vast majority. I have 2 strops both of which are leather only.

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Originally Posted by Tarkus

While Ive never heard of SCZO it resembles by the photograph like the Prima Rindleder strops that are always re branded with different badges. Dovo, Col. Ichabod, etc.
I think it will work just fine. Other then the hardware being a bit flimsy looking.
While the posters previously steer you to premium leathers. That's great and all, but for someone who is brand spanking new at this and is not sure if this is a passion that's gonna be a keeper, then why not start off with an economy kit?
I still own my first Dove Russian (cheap strop) well over 7 years now and it still strops properly.
J.M.H.O.

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Yes I was kinda thinking that it looked like the Prima Rindleder type but couldn't tell. You're right, if it is, those seem to work just fine.
Maybe I'm just jealous cause I didnt pay $12 for mine :(. Haha

It does not get good reviews, if you search Szco Supplies leather strop.

I have the Dovo Travel strop, that the photo looks like and that is a very nice, well-made strop. One of the reviews stated it did not look like the one in the photo. So I do not think it is the same strop. It is also pretty small for daily stropping. The length is overall length.

Almost every review says “You get what you pay for” or words similar.

Spend a few dollars more and buy a good strop. Stropping is the finale finish to your edge before it touches your face, not where you want to skimp to save a few bucks.

Spend a few more dollars an you will be much happier in the long run. I much prefer honing on a 2.5 inch strop instead of my 3". Check out the strop offering from Straight Razor Designs. Their strops offer a very good bang for the buck.

Not going on a rant, or maybe I am.
50 dollars, 65 dollars for a new guy to buy a first time strop. I.M.O. is ill advised. Why does it always end up where it always comes down to spending more bloody dough on kit? It doesn't have to be that way.
Is it good to buy top quality gear? Yes sure, but as a first time out purchaser, who probably never put steel to leather in his life before sounds like pissing money down the drain.
Lets say get that inexpensive strop try this new hobby of yours and see if everything clicks. Then in a about 6 to 12 months if your still hooked on straights then think about up grades.
Money is too hard to come by these days.

freddjapster welcome to the forum. Perhaps you could introduce yourself properly when you have time.
For your purposes I think either strop you mentioned would be useful. If you are new to stropping you will probably damage the strop at some point in any event. Save your $ for a more expensive strop if you stick with straight shaving and have learned to strop fairly well.
Good luck.

I would forget the szco, a pakastani strop that's very hard and rough. try tony miller at the well shaved gentleman and see if he has any plain vanilla strops left. if you want to shave with a straight don't cut corners on a strop get a good one later you can pop on a nicer one. a strop under 40.00 is usually you get what you pay for if you pay for junk you get junk.

Oh I forgot to mention also that many people are happy with the whipped dog poor man's strop kit. It's inexpensive and at least it comes with a lot of praise. But that Fromm looks like it has good reviews too...

Whipped Dog Straight Razor Shaving Equipment

It's important to distinguish between a cheap strop and a quality inexpensive strop. It's true you may damage your first gear or maybe you won't. However if you buy all cheap gear your experience with straight shaving will be clouded by the quality of what you get and if the performance is minimal it could cause you to decide straights are not for you.

Kind of like a first time car owner buying a Yugo and deciding he doesn't like to drive period.

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Originally Posted by Tarkus

Not going on a rant, or maybe I am.
50 dollars, 65 dollars for a new guy to buy a first time strop. I.M.O. is ill advised. Why does it always end up where it always comes down to spending more bloody dough on kit? It doesn't have to be that way.
Is it good to buy top quality gear? Yes sure, but as a first time out purchaser, who probably never put steel to leather in his life before sounds like pissing money down the drain.
Lets say get that inexpensive strop try this new hobby of yours and see if everything clicks. Then in a about 6 to 12 months if your still hooked on straights then think about up grades.
Money is too hard to come by these days.

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Take a deep breath and calm down darl :)
i completely agree with you 100% with regards to not wasting money.
However does anyone actually know anything about this strop? There is no point buying something inexpensive if it isn't going to do the job. Personally i cant say either way as I don't know anything about it.
At least if a new shaver purchases a decent modular strop and falls out of love with shaving they would have a hope of recouping at least some of the money spent based on the fact that another person could buy it and if necessary replace a damaged panel. And down the track if they decided to stick with it could basically have a new strop for the cost of a replacement panel.

My first strop looked like Fido's chew toy after a few months, it was a Herold and I think I could still use it, just less of it, if I didn't upgrade to a better strop. The initial investment was small.....I recall reading that Neil Miller laughed at how many people he has talked out of buying one of his strops.
IMHO:
Stick with a known quantity (mentioned in above posts).
Forget reselling your first strop, at best you could give it away( to someone with a dog who likes chew toys) because you will make mistakes (if you buy a hanging strop).
Buying the best strop you can afford does not apply here.
Opt for a 2.5 strop, it is where all the cool people end up.
Good Luck, there are a lot of conflicting opinions on this site and this can be daunting to wade through.....

Fromm's an "ok" brand

Yes my frend here got the same Szco strop , it is high quality strop and they made it for several companies as rebranded product . It is madefrom fine sueded leather *( rusian leather it is called i think ) . the only problem is that is long and narow , for me it is valuable strop but for the prise you can get something wider from SRP design .
The strop and King 1000 - 6000 stone is a deal and a wonderful combination for the prise , on my opinion .
I began with a narow strop and the X stroping gives shavng edje more quickly than the widerstrop for me but you canot go fast on a narow strop during x stroping .
For sure it is a hight quality strop , very common in EU .

From reading here the Fromm strops are made by Illinois Razor Co and are considered good strops. Both cheap and decent quality. Good luck