Thread: Strops and Brushes- Aren't they all the same?

No,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

I own all three of your purchases

The 3" SRD latigo is my "heavy" draw strop. I use it when I want to tune up a blade a little bit. Well made and gets the job done.

The Parker Silvertip is a good brush. Loads a lot of soap. The brush performs well.

The R. Aust is fantastic. Honed by Lynn, the first shave was perfect. Will use it again this coming Sunday.

The answer to your question is no.

Razors perform differently. Some hone to a finer edge. Some give a more comfortable shave.

Brushes perform differently.

Strops perform differently.

How you use them is the key. Each person has his/her system. YMMV is the key.

Generally, you get what you pay for.

Amen.... why didn't you just buy the kit from srd...whole kit....RA roundpoint Latigo 3" strop razor oil and sock for less than 160.? ?

You can get by and enjoy which ever pieces you choose. You need a shave ready razor and a strop. Brushes are a preference thing. Some like $10 boars. I like a large silvertip.

They do vary. Brushes, strops, razors, soaps, the lot. What you have listed will serve you fine.

Originally Posted by JTmke

You can get by and enjoy which ever pieces you choose. You need a shave ready razor and a strop. Brushes are a preference thing. Some like $10 boars. I like a large silvertip.

They do vary. Brushes, strops, razors, soaps, the lot. What you have listed will serve you fine.

But I also want something to last me many many years and the Spanish point looked like a great match, (check out my other threads)

First straight avoid a spike point just fyi

All women have ears (well most any way). And they all cost a HUGE LOAD of money.. They better improve life for that price!!

They're all the same aren't they??



You're questions couldn't be so far from true. Of course, there is a point of diminishing returns, but not all strops and brushes are created equal and more many can buy you a better experience.

I've seen some strops that couldn't line the bottom of your shoe, let alone maintain a razor. Brushes.. well I am one who prefers a $15 boar over a high priced badger. On the other hand, I prefer oil tanned Horween leather over steer hide. This hobby is like many others.. buy cheap and you'll likely buy twice.

If your just starting out,buy what you can afford,down the road you may find the sport is not for you.
I moderatly decent strop and brush will serve you well for a long time.

Originally Posted by noy99

But I also want something to last me many many years and the Spanish point looked like a great match, (check out my other threads)

I have a 7/8 Aust Spanish point. It is an amazing shaver. You will enjoy it for many years.

OP,

Your choices of strop razor and brush are all acceptable. You will have a much better start than I did. No all strops are not the same. The cheapo strops you can get off of ebay for like 10 bucks or so usually have serious issues and are really just strop shaped pieces of leather that have wrinkles and other issues that can affect your shave. Now getting a cordovan strop or some crazy $400 dollar strop sure would be nice and have a different feel but I am not one to spend $400 on a strop so I wouldn't know. $400 is 20-30 razors I could have bought instead and I don't think there would be that much of a difference in performance of that and what you are buying except for the luxury of it.

Brushes are not all the same either. There is a huge difference in performance and feel on the face of a boar or horse hair or badger or silver tip badger. They all perform differently (not in a negative way though IMO, just different) and they all feel very different. Boar is a firm brush and is great for loading up hard soaps. They have a lot of back bone.

Regular badger has less back bone and firmness but not totally lacking in it either. It is somewhat scratchy which still makes it a good candidate for loading up triple milled soaps and other hard soaps while easily creating loads of nice meringue like lather.

Silvertip on the other hand tends to have less backbone or firmness and is very soft. Feels luxurious on the face when lathering and is great for face lathering IMO. Also it can still be used for harder soaps but works better when gripping the bristles firmly to give it some backbone and help it load up faster with soap. They hold a lot of water and quickly lather up plus did I mention they feel amazing on the face.

This is just my opinion and experiences and yours and others may vary. I have never used a horse hair brush so I couldn't speak on those.