Thread: opinions on strop purchase

Hi, im new to shaving with a straight razor, or, a razor for that matter. been getting by with just a clipper for ten years now.

i bought a straight razor off ebay, a zeva, because i thought the scales looked nice, and ended up having to fix it so the blade doesnt hit the scales, and had to sharpen it myself as well, i got it sharp enough to cut hairs, but it still pulls when shaving so im looking to buy a strop.

i would like to buy off amazon, as its currently easiest for me, and stay under $40. and i would like to know what people here think about a certain one, i read reviews on it, some people were very satisfied with it and some said it came hard and needed a lot of conditioning. one person in particular had a detailed review on how he softened it up.

here's a link to the strop

Fromm Razor Strop , 2 1/2-Inches X 23Inches https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001DYM5TG..._v1YxxbMRFEPJK

It appears to be made by the Illinois Strop Company. They are a known entity. It should serve you and do the job.

I'm thinking that this is an Illinois 827 which I have used for years!

It has a unique leather in that there are 'ridges' from when the leather was pressed. Please don't worry yourself about that as it's the way it's supposed to be.

The 'linen' is also a bit unique but I use this strop as the first step after honing. It will serve you well!

With that said, please be sure to check to make sure that the stop is soft, flexible and that those ridges are there. I was given one from a friend as I'd loaned my old reliable and it came from Amazon and it wasn't usable as the leather was unusable/no ridges and falling apart.

I'm sure that this one strop was a fluke as I've given several to others that were just like my old reliable!

Enjoy it once you get it, it's a great strop!

What did you use for sharpening it? If you are new to this, you might want to check out a second razor in the classifieds. That way you will get to try one honed by someone else, who probably created a better edge than you could as a beginner to this.

You need to send that thing out to be sharpened, or get another one, don't know if it's worth honing, but you have no idea what is shave ready , plus you will need a strop if it's the Illinois 827 it,ll work. Tc

thanks for the vote of confidence cudarunner, i will buy it and let you know of the result

i reprofiled it first with rough diamond, then polished it up to 10k with a sharpening kit a friend lent me, i dont think of it as being worth having sent out to be rehoned, im looking out for another one but in no rush currently, as im still practicing using it


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by waldbrent

thanks for the vote of confidence cudarunner, i will buy it and let you know of the result

i reprofiled it first with rough diamond, then polished it up to 10k with a sharpening kit a friend lent me, i dont think of it as being worth having sent out to be rehoned, im looking out for another one but in no rush currently, as im still practicing using it Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for considering my advice but as my good friend Tc said:

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

You need to send that thing out to be sharpened, or get another one, don't know if it's worth honing, but you have no idea what is shave ready , plus you will need a strop if it's the Illinois 827 it,ll work. Tc

One of the biggest obstacles that I encounter day to day is that those that are new to this age old art don't and won't believe that honing a straight razor is Completely Different from 'Sharpening a Knife'.

I've posted time and time again that as a former meat cutter I 'Knew' that honing a razor wouldn't be an problem at all!!! GUESS WHAT!?!?!?!??? Big Problem!

With that said every once in awhile there is the exception to the rule, however it's pretty rare!

Not too long ago there was a newbie with the 'I like to do things on my own and I've sharpened knives and such all my life' who wouldn't listen to good solid counsel.

A member offered to hone for free and it was rejected. The newbie finally posted "All Right I Give Up" and sent the blade to be honed.

Lets just say that once the newbie got his Properly Honed razor back he was not only very pleased but also much wiser.

Enjoy the journey, it's a long strange ride but well worth the journey!

If you look at the pictures attached by one of the reviewers, it's a 127. I don't know enough about this brand to be able to compare this to the 827 mentioned in this thread, but wanted to mention it in case it's a lesser quality model.

Originally Posted by Mrchick

If you look at the pictures attached by one of the reviewers, it's a 127. I don't know enough about this brand to be able to compare this to the 827 mentioned in this thread, but wanted to mention it in case it's a lesser quality model.

thank you mrchick, i looked further and there were two very similar listings on amazon, within $1 price difference one is 127 and the other a 827. which one would be the better choice now i wonder..?


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

thanks again cudarunner, i will probably try to get a professional hone once i have a razor that is worth it.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk