Thread: Kanayama strops difference?

Gentlemen, it is hard to justify spending close to $200US on something like a 70K, for a lot of people. As an example, myself and people near me have easy access to high quality bovine leather, veg tanned, around 3mm thick. You can do whatever you want with it in terms of setting up the surface, playing with suppleness, etc. $200 gets us 3 full hides, that's nearly 6 sqm/60sqft and that's a lot of strops... as many as 30, if you know how to look at leather.

So I don't think there are "nay sayers", only friends who unfortunately can't afford a Kanoyama. The quality is undisputed, it's only a matter of personal preference and one's financial situation.

Absolutely. Justifying spending $200 on a strop is difficult to do. Unfortunately straight razor use is not cheap at any of the stages. I mean, buying an average natural stone is in the same boat. If a member is doing it tough, it would indeed be a good thing to avoid the more costly items. That's a great idea buying a hide and sharing it round, I'd love to see your finished product.
My last word on Kanayama's is that they are fun to use, do a great job and are nice to have in your collection. They are however, not essential. That having been said, I'll be keeping both my Kanayama's and my opinions on them to myself.

What Bobski said. But wait, there's another side to the discussion. The Kanoyama is a one-time expense.

In my Harley riding days (still have one), I was complaining to a friend about how much something Harley-related cost, and I do not remember what it was but I remember his reply: 'It's only money, you'll earn more.'



Cheers, Steve

Originally Posted by Steve56

What Bobski said. But wait, there's another side to the discussion. The Kanoyama is a one-time expense.

In my Harley riding days (still have one), I was complaining to a friend about how much something Harley-related cost, and I do not remember what it was but I remember his reply: 'It's only money, you'll earn more.'



Cheers, Steve

That's right! And not only that you can't take it with you to the grave,msomething gravedigger will steal it! Tc

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

That's right! And not only that you can't take it with you to the grave,msomething gravedigger will steal it! Tc

Funny you should say that. My friend Mr L just wanted me to tell you he has a "Straight Shavers Special" this month. Just sign on the dotted line and you can take it all with you. No tricks.

Dang that Mr L all to hell and back!

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

That's right! And not only that you can't take it with you to the grave. Tc

I have two Scottish lawyer friends that are totally unconvinced of this.

From time to time, I can find shell strops on japanese proxy auctions (just look it up on google) and they are either finished by naomi san or by someone using an identical process. i haven't been looking lately, because i'm fat rich in strops, but that is an option.

Bovine leather isn't as good as shell, but it certainly makes a useable strop. I have made strops out of bovine, horse butt and horween shell. I'd rank strops as follows:

* older strops that are NOS that I've gotten from japan that are shell (above the kanayama 80k that I got - I don't know why they are more capable out of the box, but maybe because the less expensive strops are thinner than the kanayamas - look up certifyd in japan, they use that label on strops there)
* horse butt (but you have to buy the horse butt right and get a smooth butt strip and then be willing to break it in
* kanayama
* horween shell (great initially, but very poor durability because the surface treatment is intended for clothing and wallets, and does not tolerate anything - including razors with spinework. When the surface finish is gone, the strop is not the same thing.
* veg tanned bovine

Almost everything else available isn't in the class of the above items. Bad horse butt strips that are cracked or wrinkled are also a no-go - pretty much is the case with anything.

NOS strops in japan sell for less than they do here, unless someone from here is bidding on them. Use your discretion if you go that route, but you can find deals now and then.

The absolute finest strop I have ever seen in my life is a vintage unused JUMBO marked strop from japan, and I haven't used it yet either, but I will. It is the kind of strop that you get a little hitch in before you strop because you know that you don't want to have a mental lapse and nick it. It was about $100, and exceeds the k-yama 80k that I had in finish by a good bit, but not the kind of thing you find every day. Good barely used strops are around 50 bucks or so.

(your discretion again regarding the hygiene - I try to stick to strops that look like they have not been used in a long time, though the danger in a disused strop probably isn't as much as i imagine it to be).