Thread: Scrupleworks strops leather

Was thinking about purchasing a scrupleworks strop for my first hanging strop, I have a nice board strop right now. I noticed he offers 3 types of leather - oil tanned, vegetable tanned, and swedish bridle. I was wondering from people who already own these strops as to what they think of them and how each type of leather performs. I know he has descriptions on his site but being new to the straight razor game it's hard for me to make a choice. I like some draw, definitely not glassy, I like to hear something happening when I strop.

I have tried all three types. Torolf's strops are of high quality, I like them a lot. The vegetable-tanned horsehide is my preference, as I like a slick strop with a light draw. So that one might not be your favorite as it might be "glassy" as described. The Swedish bridle has the most draw, but not as much as some other bridles I've used. Not my fave, and I will probably being selling it at some point down the road. The best all-around strop for beginners IMO would be the oil-tanned horween. This one has a moderate draw--somewhere between the horsehide and the bridle--and a most interesting "velvet suction" type sensation while stropping.

These are very nice strops, and stropping on a paddle is different from a hanging strop, so it might behoove you to start with something expendable for starters. Perhaps a piece of vegetable-tanned leather cut to the same size with a utility knife and attached to a hook via a grommet at one end and a shoe string? That way you could get the motions down before moving to the nice stuff. McMaster-Carr sells vegetable-tanned leather belting.

I've got the vegetable tanned horsehide. It's a beautiful strop, and the workmanship is as good as it gets. The draw on this strop is quite light, not as slick as a Kanayama, but nice and easy. I like it very much! I've heard that the oil tanned has the most draw, but I've never tried it.
It's best to talk all this over with Torolf. He's very responsive and very knowledgable on the subject.

I'm having my last strop made as we speak ... Torolf is working on it right now. I cannot say any more at this time, but stay tuned.

Vegi tanned is my main strop
I also have a oil tanned beginner strop to try the leather and prefer the slick Vegi myself more

Veg tanned is very light draw love it, Swedish bridle just was,nt for me , the oil tanned has a magnetic draw and no Dout has the most draw to me, great all round strop , I would ask Torolf to make you oil tanned but go easy on the draw, and he will add less oils or what ever he does.

I like his Swedish bridle. Has a nice smooth draw. His workmanship is top notch and highly recommended.

I love heavy draws. My favorite is an old Horween steer hide my grandfather used. If your not paying attention it will pull the razor right out of your hand.

Originally Posted by Justino14

Was thinking about purchasing a scrupleworks strop for my first hanging strop, I have a nice board strop right now.

Scrupleworks strops are works of art, and priced to match. But, in this case, even if money is no object to you, I would humble suggest starting with something more utilitarian in nature as it would be a crying shame to nick that beautiful strop, right out of the gate.

Something along the lines of the SRD strops, that have easily replaceable leathers, which you can do yourself, when it gets beat up too much. A Scrupleworks strop is stitched together and so it would have to go back to Norway for repair if you wanted it to remain a true Scrupleworks strop, and it would never be the same as it was originally made.

Replacing the leather on an SRD strop, means simply undoing 6 Chicago screws, replacing the leather and putting the 6 Chicago screws back in place. I have had 6 strops and only one remains unscathed so far.... Sooner or later, ones attention wanders and that's when Murphy strikes....

I think my highest draw strop is an Illinois 827, but it took a LOT of work to make serviceable... the shag on the surface (Russian leather type strops are flesh side out) had to be removed, and it wasn't easy... however, this strop is near bulletproof against nicks.... I said NEAR bulletproof! You can nick it, but the few times I've had an oops, the edge just bogged down in the flesh side of the leather and never did anything. Second to that, I'd say my Latigo strops have almost as much draw... An old Mitchel Mogal horse hide strop I restored, is like glass, and my SRD English Bridal is still pretty slick too, and I find it hard to use them as the razor just flies away. The English Bridal is the noisiest of my strops, so noise and draw can be different things.

I had to recheck because I thought I might have missed how the Scrupleworks barbers strops go together, but they too are stitched together at the top, so it would always mean a trip back to Torolf if you wanted him to fix it.

If I were you, I would select a user strop while leaving a Scupleworks strop just hang there for good looks. When you are dead nuts sure you won't nick it... based on your use of a lesser strop, by all means, go ahead and use it. You are buying art, not function.... a basic quality strop will perform exactly the same as a beautifully made custom strop.... only not look as pretty.

Regards

Christian

Originally Posted by kaptain_zero

Scrupleworks strops are works of art, and priced to match. But, in this case, even if money is no object to you, I would humble suggest starting with something more utilitarian in nature as it would be a crying shame to nick that beautiful strop, right out of the gate.

Something along the lines of the SRD strops, that have easily replaceable leathers, which you can do yourself, when it gets beat up too much. A Scrupleworks strop is stitched together and so it would have to go back to Norway for repair if you wanted it to remain a true Scrupleworks strop, and it would never be the same as it was originally made.

Replacing the leather on an SRD strop, means simply undoing 6 Chicago screws, replacing the leather and putting the 6 Chicago screws back in place. I have had 6 strops and only one remains unscathed so far.... Sooner or later, ones attention wanders and that's when Murphy strikes....

I think my highest draw strop is an Illinois 827, but it took a LOT of work to make serviceable... the shag on the surface (Russian leather type strops are flesh side out) had to be removed, and it wasn't easy... however, this strop is near bulletproof against nicks.... I said NEAR bulletproof! You can nick it, but the few times I've had an oops, the edge just bogged down in the flesh side of the leather and never did anything. Second to that, I'd say my Latigo strops have almost as much draw... An old Mitchel Mogal horse hide strop I restored, is like glass, and my SRD English Bridal is still pretty slick too, and I find it hard to use them as the razor just flies away. The English Bridal is the noisiest of my strops, so noise and draw can be different things.

I had to recheck because I thought I might have missed how the Scrupleworks barbers strops go together, but they too are stitched together at the top, so it would always mean a trip back to Torolf if you wanted him to fix it.

If I were you, I would select a user strop while leaving a Scupleworks strop just hang there for good looks. When you are dead nuts sure you won't nick it... based on your use of a lesser strop, by all means, go ahead and use it. You are buying art, not function.... a basic quality strop will perform exactly the same as a beautifully made custom strop.... only not look as pretty.

Regards

Christian

I'm still not dead nuts sure I won't nick a strop, and I thought I was past that point 8 years ago... Here comes wifey into the room talking while I'm stropping ..... Ooooooops...

Stuff happens!

Originally Posted by Druid

I'm still not dead nuts sure I won't nick a strop, and I thought I was past that point 8 years ago... Here comes wifey into the room talking while I'm stropping ..... Ooooooops...

Stuff happens!

I thought the wife ceased to be a problem AFTER the "Oooooops" bit?!?!?

As for that walking into the room.... it's why I always flip the lock on the door so it won't happen.... My strop is attached to the door!

But yes, things happen, no matter how many years and razors you have stropped... My dads last barber chair strop proves that point... it's got about 24 nicks in it.... well, that's as far as I bothered counting when the wife walked in and broke my concentration! <sigh>

Like I said, it happens to ALL of us, only more often when you haven't been doing it for very long.

Regards

Christian

I have Torolf's oil tanned and vegetable tanned strops, and much prefer the oil tanned, probably because I like the feel of a medium draw strop. I rarely use my vegi tanned strop as it's just too light of a draw for me. I also prefer a 3" strop, and I think his Swedish Bridle only comes in 2 1/2". Torolf does wonderful work, and it all comes down to whether one prefers a light, medium, or heavy draw.