Update to Ready to Graduate - Review of Paladin
I made my decision and got a RR Paladin. All the contenders were great, but I had to make a choice and figured the Filly served me so well why not stick with Ken.
I was surprised to see how the strop was packaged, pulled straight in a triangular box the length of the strop -- no curls or folds. The strop didn't come with the canvas strop, which I ordered, but an email to Ken set that straight in a couple of days.
I dont know if the Paladin is a great strop, as I don't have much to compare it to, but it seems to do a great job on my razors, and I took Lynn's advice and went for the 3", which I think is more than a luxury these days. Much easier when you don't have to follow an X pattern.
The draw on the strop is very light, but I tried it on a Gold Dollar, which has never been sharpened since I got it, and it definitely made a difference. I've heard the draw will get a little heavier over time, which is fine with me.
I got the D-rings, which are great, and the construction leads me to believe this strop will easily outlive me. Both the quality of the leather and the hardware is top notch.
I also like the swivals compared to the Filly, which allows the strop to rotate and stay in contact with the blade. The hole in the Filly with the leather ties work, but just doesn't cut it.
The backside of the strop is well finished, and the canvas is really nice. Rather than make a decision among dozens of fabrics, Ken supplies a really nice canvas strop. Looks nice, too, but only comes in a 2" width.
I know there are a lot of really great strops out there, which is what made the decision so hard, but I think I made a good choice, and hopefully my blades will think so too. I still have the pasted backside of the Filly, and I'm open to suggestions as to what to do with the frontside. ;)
Oh, yeah. It also came with a stone and a brush -- nice touch.
