Thread: Two Strops or what???

I just got a strop, my first. I got it from eBay and the following is the link to see it:

Vintage Sanasack Barber Strop #576 - eBay (item 260525661250 end time Dec-27-09 18:13:45 PST)

One side says "Buckskin Tanned in Scotland" and "Genuine Sunasack Strop" made by SuntorBach. The other side says "The Magic Strop" and "Genuine Sanasack Strop" with the number 576.

Should this be two different strops or is one supposed to be used instead of a canvas or linen strop? One side feels slightly more smooth than the other side.

Looks like a beauty!

I have a shell horsehide Sunasack, and I love it (has canvas component).

Yes, you use the dual leather as you would a cloth/leather strop.

It appears as if you got a real good deal. Many of us have not been so fortunate in getting strops off ebay, especially vintage strops.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

Looks like a beauty!

I have a shell horsehide Sunasack, and I love it (has canvas component).

Yes, you use the dual leather as you would a cloth/leather strop.

So what you are saying is that I would use the thinner of thee two straps as I would a cloth one? How would using the leather compare to say a linen or wool strop? Like I stated, this is the first strop I have ever owned and everything that I have read in posts talks about using some sort of cloth first to warm the blade and then use the leather.

Could I actually make two strops and buy two cloth straps so that I would have a second strop?

The two pieces of leather are is great shape. There are no nicks or cuts in either of them. A little cleaning is about all they would need.

I love the $2 price on the bottom of it!

You could always get a cloth strop on it's own if you felt you needed one, but I'd see how you get on with the dual leather method first.

Nice strop. Generally when I've seen vintage dual leather strops the maker will have some indication of which side to use first. It should be the rougher of the two sides in any case. I would probably look to getting a linen for one and a felt for the other if I had that strop. Not really necessary I guess but just what I would do.

Just a guess: One of the strops, the less-smooth one, would be used first then you would finish on the smoother one. Perhaps the rougher one would only be needed occasionally. This would be the same as the instructions given for the Hand American 830 strop -- it's rougher side is purposely "roughened up" with a fine pattern embossed into it. Your strops don't look to have as radical a difference between the two but the principle could be the same.

As JimmyHAD recommends, I would also get a fabric strop of some kind. See the following: http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...strop-man.html. That has a recommendation from a well-respected strop maker:

... when stropping you want to use the linen first to remove the oil off of the blade edge. Follow that by the outer side slightly textured non-cordovan horsehide. And to finally finish with the cordovan.