Tony Milller strop

Ever since I started shaving with a str8, I knew that I needed to get a good leather strop. While there are a number of reputable suppliers, one of the more respected stropmakers in the States seems to be Tony Miller and his heirloom razor strops. I was afraid to invest in one of his strops when I first started knowing I would nick the strop until I mastered the flip. So, I started with a Parker red latigo and yes, it has acquired a couple of minor nicks.

Now that my stropping technique has improved, I have been checking Tony's web site periodically. I wanted to get a 3" strop so I could use a straight stroke rather than the X-strokes required on more narrow strops. For several months, the 3" strops were absent from Tony's website. Once again Tony is offering 3" Artisan Fast Bridle strops as well as the less expensive 3" plain chocolate strops. I pulled the trigger on one of his 3" Artisan strops with leather handles.

Tony states that orders placed before Dec. 17 should ship to USA addresses in time for Christmas, so you have a few days left to order one if you have strop acquisition disorder.

My wife plans to intercept the package and hide it until Christmas Day. I will be unwrapping Ralf Aust and Dovo Bismark razors that day as well. I will try to post some photos and reviews after Christmas.

I have one of his strops and you made a good choice.

Several years ago near Christmas I got a chance to talk to Tony and as a result purchased one of his 2.5 in strops. It is extremely well made of first rate materials.:deal:

Yup...quality is outstanding. I got mine the first week in January. Is it wrong to be more nervous about stropping and nicking the leather rather than shaving and nicking your face?

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Originally Posted by Blamo

Yup...quality is outstanding. I got mine the first week in January. Is it wrong to be more nervous about stropping and nicking the leather rather than shaving and nicking your face?

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:)
Not wrong at all.
I would be too!
Nicked skin grows back, leather won't.

Best to buy one to hang and admire, and another to use ......... :)

Congrats! My 1st strop was a TM 3" Heirloom latigo. Beautiful strop, and knowing that, I took my time and learned to strop slowly and carefully until I built up the muscle memory that comes quicker than you think. Seven years later it has a couple of tiny nicks.

Sometimes I wonder if the usual advice for newbies to get a cheapo to tear up is really the best advice? :shrug:Go slow and you should be fine!

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Originally Posted by Thug

:)
Not wrong at all.
I would be too!
Nicked skin grows back, leather won't.

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I've heard that horse leather makes for good strops. I'm not going to lie, I actually thought about shaving one of mine in order to have a self healing strop. Don't judge.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Blamo

Yup...quality is outstanding. I got mine the first week in January. Is it wrong to be more nervous about stropping and nicking the leather rather than shaving and nicking your face?

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I got the same strop for Christmas. It was on my list and I absolutely love it. The draw is so smooth and light. :tu

I recently received one of his Old No2 and have been really impressed with the quality.

Problems for those new to stropping is more about the width than cost. Start with a 3 Inch strop, and learn your stroke, then use a 2 1/2 inch strop.

I have a plain vanilla and the 2.5" artisan, and enjoy both. The plain vanilla is a faster draw, so I strop abou 30 on the artisan then 30 to 40 on the plain vanilla. Tony is a great guy and if you contact him, he will do his best to keep you informed and work you in when he can.

Got a 3" old Heirloom strop and I really like it. I've been doing 40 laps on my TM and its ready to go. I do 15-20 prior on my fire hose strop and is a great combination. Really polished edge that shaves smooth.

I think we get caught up a bit in strop width. You can still nick a 3 inch strop when you are learning the muscle memory of stopping. Some blokes even after years curse the stopping process, it can frustrate some. If you use a 2 inch, 2 1/2, there is no rule that says you must use a type of x pattern, you can just go back and forth, and move around and do the job just fine. I use as you know a Kanayama, which is 68mm wide, or 2.72 inches wide! The one I'm using everyday is about 9 months old now, a#70000, and improves with age. I don't try the x pattern, I just strop on it covering my razor over the 100 strokes or so I do. There are no nicks or cuts in my strop. Some say a nick gives a strop character. I say it's BS if I nicked my nicely mellowed #70000 I'd be annoyed!

I rely on my TM #2 to keep my edges sharp. It's got 6-8 nicks, but still does a wonderful job. Here is my routine:
Pre-Shave: Strop 100 on Tony Miller Heirloom #2
Post-Shave: Strop 30/30 Cotton/Linen on TomoNagura
Lightly oil and put up.

Tony Miller #2 here as well. 30/30 flax linen/leather. Very smooth results.

Tony does outstanding work !!

I have a total of 4 strops and my TM is my goto strop.

I purchased a TM Plain Chocolate w/ flax linen in new condition on the BST, a special run that he made with flax linen second component about a year ago and the quality is outstanding. I wish this would have been my first strop when I started.
It now resides in a good friends shave den and he's enjoying it a great deal.
In it's place came a like new condition TM Heirloom Old No.2 in 2.5" Notovan horse w/flax linen second.
A steel at what I paid for it used, came with a tiny slice at the very top that was easily repaired and this example is another beautiful strop.
Immaculate execution of timeless design, and the draw is very light and fast, flax linen is a refined smooth consistent weave, supple and very flat.
Handles and hardware are top notch so I can highly recommend Tony's strops, a great guy to do business with and outstanding product line.