Thread: I want a new strop - I think!

Yeah I would agree with both of those previous comments. Tony is very easy to work with and he makes really nice stuff. You won't be disappointed with probably anything you get from him. I think the cupping usually comes from pulling it too tight IINM. Still you can correct that also. I like the 3-in myself because I figure it's more real estate for the money but I still use a couple of belts that are 2" and 2 1/2". The 2 1/2" one is some kind of canvas which I think might be hemp. It came with a pair of cargo shorts that I have. It's either that or jute. Whatever it is I think it works better than the fire hose linen that I have. That's what makes me think it's hemp. I could always smoke a piece of it and find out.

Originally Posted by Gasman

Yep. What Vic said.
A 2.5" is more made for the X stroke. I have plenty of 3" and 2.5" and prefer the 2.5" size. It just feels more correct.

Tony will do ya right. He is a good guy and easy to work with.

I agree with the others that recommend a 2.5” strop. I have a 3” and it is a bit more difficult to handle - you have to be careful not to roll it.

FYI - when I ordered the 3” strop from Scrupleworks, the owner recommended not to put a handle on it. He said it would make the wide strop more difficult to control and more likely to roll and suggested a traditional barber end would be a better choice for a wider strop.

CORRECTION - Mustn’t have had enough coffee when I wrote this. Torolf at Scrupleworks actually said exactly the opposite. He suggests a 3” SHOULD HAVE a handle to avoid rolling the strop. Mea culpe.

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

You can always use the suede.side.for heavier draw. The Heirloom Workshops Old No 2 Roughout has a spectacular suede side. Maybe, also consider a Herold Solingen 180J. sharpeningsupplies.com has them for $65.99 US. You can probably find them from Canadian suppliers for a similar price. It is rather thin but I have been pleased with mine. It is a good strop for starters because it's not too expensive so if you do knick it up it's not a huge investment down the drain.

HA. I just treated myself to a "fancy" strop that was $60.

Originally Posted by planeden

HA. I just treated myself to a "fancy" strop that was $60.

My fancy strop will be 2 1/2" Premium old No.2 SteerHide from Tony at Heirloom Strop Co. It will cost $80 but with the currency conversion to Canadian and the shipping I guess I am looking in the region of about $150 ca. Living in the great white north almost doubles the cost of a lot of things from the US.

I won't get charged duty because it's made in the States but I could very well have to pay 13% Sales Tax (HST) at the door.

I have looked at new strops in other stores, and even in Canadian stores $150 ish isn't a bad price for a decent strop, there are a lot of more expensive ones but guys here really rate Tony so I am confident that I will be happy with my investment.

Originally Posted by STF

Funny you say that Paul. I've been in touch with Tony at Heirloom strops and I reckon that the Premium Steerhide Old No.2 is the way to go for me, maybe it also has a suede back side, I didn't think to ask but it wouldn't be a deal breaker because my bridal doesn't either
Thing is, I have read that 3" can cup. I haven't experienced any cupping with mine yet but since I read about it I can't help but wonder if it will happen eventually. Will that render it useless to me?
.

The Roughout that Paul FLUS describes is a different material than my steerhide and is made using the flesh side rather than the skin side. The back side of the Steerhide strops will feel different and is not exactly usable as I make my strops with a very slight crown in the convex to counteract cupping. Usually either the strop flattens while stropping or one's usual variations in the stopping stoke cause the entire edge to make contact at some point in each stroke so for most the convex is not an issue if they even notice it.

If made with end caps with either D-rings or handles cupping is reduced on any strop but can still happen when near the center, far from the stabilizing caps and is why I opt to go slightly convex. A plain end 2 1/2" strop can be controlled with how it is gripped but that is harder to do on a 3" width and why I typically will not make 3" plain end strops.

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

The Roughout that Paul FLUS describes is a different material than my steerhide and is made using the flesh side rather than the skin side. The back side of the Steerhide strops will feel different and is not exactly usable as I make my strops with a very slight crown in the convex to counteract cupping. Usually either the strop flattens while stropping or one's usual variations in the stopping stoke cause the entire edge to make contact at some point in each stroke so for most the convex is not an issue if they even notice it.

If made with end caps with either D-rings or handles cupping is reduced on any strop but can still happen when near the center, far from the stabilizing caps and is why I opt to go slightly convex. A plain end 2 1/2" strop can be controlled with how it is gripped but that is harder to do on a 3" width and why I typically will not make 3" plain end strops.

When and why would a person use the flesh-side (suede) instead of the leather or is it part of a progression?

I have d-rings on my 3" English bridal but I don't hold them because I find my strop twists to different angles which makes it difficult for me. I hold my strop at the screws and find it much easier to control.

I also have two cottons on it, the original one which is a hard one that is rough and makes a nasty zip sort of noise, I also have a really nice soft light brown cotton that I bought from DVW and feels really nice to use.

I'm not an expert on strops but my understanding is that the suede has more pull against the metal and will actually remove more, even though it is a very small amount, all leather really does. But the smooth side does more polishing than sharpening. On the microscopic level anything that that tiny little ridge of metal contacts has some effect on it. We use stones because they have a greater effect to accomplish more. That sawtooth edge then gets smoothed and aligned more straight by the leather. As you mentioned it really is a progression just like stones. In general I would use pasted cloth, flax linen, unpasted canvas, suede and then smooth leather in that order personally. I don't always use all of those but it depends on the edge. Sometimes I will stop a razor that is already sharp on just the smooth leather and then go back to suede during the shave or perhaps even all the way back to the pasted cloth depending on how much help it needs.

The flesh side that Tony talks about is the inner half (although it may not be exactly half. I'm not an expert on tanning either)of the hide. It is split leather which I think most strops probably are, at least cowhide. If you have ever seen an unsplit cowhide you know that that hide is very thick. The Herold Solingen that I mentioned is the skin side which is why you can see the grain in the leather which you don't in the roughout which is smooth.