The JimboRoo

If he can do it, so can you; do yourself a favor and make a JimboRoo

The first thing I noticed about Jimbo's kangaroo leather strop is the consistent, mild draw that is present along the entire length and width of the strop on every kind of shave ready razor I have. The full hollow does not get bogged down in the strop and yet the wedge has nearly the same feel. The feedback is neither overbearing nor subtle. The leather is effortlessly pulled taut without any noticeable springiness or stretch and really does put a nice smooth edge on a blade.

As the leather is so thin, the strop is lightweight. The leather is not as soft as my Well Shaved Gentleman latigo strop, but not as stiff as my Illinois strop. Stropping on it is wonderful. It feels somewhat slick even with the moderate draw which is an odd sensation. This seems to allow for high stropping speed without sacrificing the great contact with the razor edge. I haven't been counting the number of laps I've been using, but either because the strop is so light and easily pulled tight or because I am stropping faster or because the strop is just more efficient, I can tell the razor is good to go before I am ready to stop stropping!

I let out a groan this morning as I nicked one end of the strop. It was a curious experience, as the poked leather did not seem to want to peel away or flap up like my latigo strop always did. Rather, the cut seems more like a very thin and very shallow crack in the leather. Notice all the verys (veries?) I just used.

I am trying now to determine whether or not I still need my linen strop. I hope I will know within a month or two.

Thanks Jimbo

PS Jimbo's handiwork is not to be sneezed at either. It has a definite home-made feel without the sloppiness you might expect of a kindergartner. This one has welded D rings riveted into both ends, and is actually two separate attached strips of leather allowing two treated stropping surfaces.

AHSRS - Advanced Hoglahoo Strap Rating System (tm)

Feedback: !!!!!
Speed: !!!!!
Durability: !!!!
Portability: !!!!!
Size: 16" stropping length, 60 mm stropping width (~2.5"), and thickness 1 mm per strip
Craftsmanship: 100% Jimbo

Firsthand information about the making of the strop in this review may be found here: http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...-kangaroo.html
The review can also be found here with ratings: http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...-jimboroo.html

Thanks Jimbo!

Now I've got to go googling for kangaroo leather! Looks very nice indeed.

Oh, & how thick is the leather? You say it's thin, but what are we talking? Thank you!

Nice review Lee. I have used mine only 2 or 3 times but my findings so far have been similar to yours...except the part about the nick.;) I would also add that there is something of a magnetic sensation when you strop that goes beyond the draw! Great work James!!

Very nice review. I am enjoying mine too. Definitely different but very effective. I am wondering if trying some type of backing would give it a different feel as well.

Thanks James!!

Lynn

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ben.mid

Oh, & how thick is the leather? You say it's thin, but what are we talking?

---

Without having it in front of me, I can guess it seems credit card thin, or perhaps thinner. Quite strong though. The slip-knotted leather tassle tied to the D-ring is also quite strong

Wow. It looked nice, but that's a pretty glowing review. How much do you think it would suffer from being rolled into a kit bag?

X

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by xman

Wow. It looked nice, but that's a pretty glowing review. How much do you think it would suffer from being rolled into a kit bag?

X

---

It has a memory but a little work or weight would straighten it right up after unrolling!
More memory than regular cow or horse hide.

You've made it to the big time James, as Lynn has commented on your strop!;)

I came accross this while i was googling it. It explains why it can be so much thinner, yet retain such strength.
Review - Kangaroo Leather

No sweat glands, you know!

Thank you for the review Lee. I especially love the strap rating system! :D

And thanks guys for the very constructive comments on the leather.

I have stopped using my other strops I must admit - I like the Roo leather so much. I am intending to make some more single-sided strops next month. Again, I will not sell these. I intend to donate a few to SRP for the giveaways (if they want them, that is), and I have already promised some to others as well. Any, if any, that remain I will give away, perhaps to the people who can come up with the best baudy limericks! :p

James.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Lynn

Very nice review. I am enjoying mine too. Definitely different but very effective. I am wondering if trying some type of backing would give it a different feel as well.

Thanks James!!

Lynn

---

Thanks Lynn. I wondered that as well. Would be interesting to investigate.

Actually, I had been discussing with Sal in chat the possibility of an Australiana strop - kangaroo on one side, salt water crocodile on the other! However, after inquiring after the price of a saltie hide, I do not think it is financially viable. Besides which, I think the croc leather may not really be that great for strops, although it my act like linen... who knows?

James.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JMS

Nice review Lee. I have used mine only 2 or 3 times but my findings so far have been similar to yours...except the part about the nick.;) I would also add that there is something of a magnetic sensation when you strop that goes beyond the draw! Great work James!!

---

That is the Jimbo-dust I added Mark! :D

James.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Thank you for the review Lee. I especially love the strap rating system! :D

And thanks guys for the very constructive comments on the leather.

I have stopped using my other strops I must admit - I like the Roo leather so much. I am intending to make some more single-sided strops next month. Again, I will not sell these. I intend to donate a few to SRP for the giveaways (if they want them, that is), and I have already promised some to others as well. Any, if any, that remain I will give away, perhaps to the people who can come up with the best baudy limericks! :p

James.

---

I'm down with that...

There once was a big roo from Sydney,
that gave me a punch in the kidney.
I turned for a smack,
but with those eyes looking back...
We marry next weekend on Sunday.

There was a bald man from Brisbane
who made money for using his brain.
He opened a razor,
a few minutes later,
was dead cause he cut open a vein!

If you're stropping a razor real quick,
you should remember this limerick.
Wear at least a towel,
lest you make a foul,
and drop your blade and cut off your prick!

(please forgive the light vulgarity here - read the wikipedia page and it says that limericks are typically obscene... )

There was a young Aussie
Who saddled his hossie
and rode into town one day
but because of his interest
in loud vulgar limericks
the constable took him away.

I also received a sample from James, thank you Jimbo! It's all I've been using for the past three shaves. I gotta say that it for sure does the trick.

Right out of the box, and stropping, I got that familiar warm leather smell that let's me know I'm putting some friction down. It's got good draw, somewhere between my horsehide and my latigo. I didn't bother to paste after my 16k the first attempt, and went right to the strop. I might be nuts, but I do see an increase in shine from my bevel after coming off my strops, and I saw that same shine with the Roo strop (the Jimbo-roo? forget now what Lee said). Popping hairs, and a smooth shave.

Very impressed James, and very thankful.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Actually, I had been discussing with Sal in chat the possibility of an Australiana strop - kangaroo on one side, salt water crocodile on the other! However, after inquiring after the price of a saltie hide, I do not think it is financially viable. Besides which, I think the croc leather may not really be that great for strops, although it my act like linen... who knows?

James.

---

Hey James. I was thinking maybe Great White or Tiger shark hide might be an option to replace abrasive pastes. :rofl2:

Seriously tho the roo sounds like a must have.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

without the sloppiness you might expect of a kindergartner

---

duh, you think they give those phd's for nothing?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Thank you for the review Lee. I especially love the strap rating system! :D

---

actually these are markaverys

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jimbo

That is the Jimbo-dust I added Mark! :D

---

yeah, right, dust.... we all know it was a gel :p

Man, the more I look at those strops, the better I think they look. Jimbo, when you go into business look north to Japan, mate.

Oooh oohh! I got another one!

My friend Jimbo made me a strop,
my wife used it to give me a whop.
It drove me insane,
but not from the pain...
I just didn't want her to stop!

You want bawdy? Baby, I got bawdy!!!

There is a great gent hoglahoo,
And his wife doesn't know what to do.
He dreams of great stropping,
'fore the shaves there's no stopping, //That's supposed to be short for "before"//
Cause he's got the great Jimbo-roo.

That fellow you mentioned before,
Whose wifey is never a bore:
She knows what to do
With his Jimbo-Roo -
Tomorrow he comes back for more!

You'd have to get some new 'roo,
But I bet you would get quite a few.
You'd max out the plastic,
She'd just say "fantastic"
And then tan your hide anew.

If Jimbo would sell, then possibly...
But then there'd be hell, and audibly
From shavers abroad
The wrath of God
"Faster!" they would yell, "ship it quickly!"

The 'roo strops would spread round the globe
And Jimbo would bust out the strobe
He'd buy drinks for all
At the crazy shave ball
Use caution, don't lop off your lobes.

You know, the ear lobes... what with the drinking and the dancing and the shaving
Lee, sounds like we're making a little story here; I dig it.

Holli, you've got me in stiches!
Your rhymes are really great pitches :)
But Jim threw some up
And Ben is no pup
You've got to reach deep down in your well you know what you have to

JimR is so skillful with prose,
the lassies just shed off their clothes!
Holli's doing just fine,
but when Lee starts to rhyme,
we're all left holding our nose!

All this rhyming based on a strop
Makes me so angry I just want to hop.
You guys are so great,
it's stirring up hate...
I've got to go drink up some Schnapps.

But then I realize just where I am,
In a far-off land known as Japan.
I've got to come back
And prove I'm no hack
And write all the Haikus I can...

Jimbo's fine roo strop
thin black leather smoothing steel
my face rejoices

blade sings on black hide
roughness flees like wounded foes
whiskers soon the same

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JimR

All this rhyming based on a strop
Makes me so angry I just want to hop.
You guys are so great,
it's stirring up hate...
I've got to go drink up some Schnapps.

But then I realize where I am,
In a far-off land called Japan.
I've got to come back
And prove I'm no hack
And write all the Haikus I can...

Jimbo's fine roo strop
thin black leather smoothing steel
my face rejoices

blade sings on black hide
roughness flees like wounded foes
whiskers soon the same

---

Oh! Bravo Sir!! Bravo! :bow

James.

Thanks good sir, but the gauntlet was thrown down, and I bring no knife to a gun fight. ;)

This thread ought to be locked, as there is only competition for second place left!!!

bravo indeed JimR!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ben325e

This thread ought to be locked, as there is only competition for second place left!!!

bravo indeed JimR!

---

:o Jeez, you're going to make me blush! There were tons of good Limericks...which is why I had to change the rules!! :D

There once was a man from Nantucket...

Nevermind, I thought I was getting one in the first batch :shrug:. lol