Strop Recommendation

Hello All,

For my first strop, I purchased a Ruprazor Filly strop. I think this strop is a great learning tool; however, I think it has a high learning curve to it. I find that I am having difficulty using this strop due to it being narrow and requiring an x-pattern. In fact, I am worried that I may have dulled my razor using this strop for the first time. I was thinking of getting a 3-inch wide strop and was wondering if anyone could provide any recommendations. I am somewhat interested in SRD's Premium IV. In the future, I plan on going back to the Filly to learn the x-pattern, but for now I would like to use something easier so that I can focus on my shaving technique. Thanks for all help.

Hi. altshaver;

I butchered my 2" Illinois learning to (or trying to learn) to strop my razors, and needed a replacement. I can't speak about the Premium IV SRD strops, but I recently purchased a 3" red latigo SRD strop and have been very happy with it. It has a nice draw, nicely fits the blade length of all my razors, and makes my face very happy as well.

Larry

heres one for you Kanayama Llama Brand 80000 Strop: Rasage Poulin Fine Wet Shaving Supplies : Calgary, Alberta, Canada

oh i forgot thats not 3":p

seriously tho i got no idea whats better but people tend to like the Bridle

My first strop was made from an old pair of jeans. I made it wide so I wouldn't have to focus on learning too many aspects. The cost was great too.

Stropping is one of those things that seems pretty straightforward and simple until you try it and then you learn there's more to it than meets the eye. Yet it's one of the most important things you must master if you will be using a straight razor.

I don't know that a wider strop will make it any easier. I have both and to tell you the truth I prefer the narrower ones. Most still use the x pattern even with a wider strop. You just need to practice until you get it right.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by janivar123

heres one for you Kanayama Llama Brand 80000 Strop: Rasage Poulin Fine Wet Shaving Supplies : Calgary, Alberta, Canada

oh i forgot thats not 3":p

seriously tho i got no idea whats better but people tend to like the Bridle

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I am sure glad they are out of stock today. My SAD
wiggled my credit card very badly...

First of all, allow me to tell you that there is no substitute for good stropping technique/skills, no strop in the world would give you a keen edge if your technique is not good. The other thing that has become evident is that beyond a certain threshold, every strop would do its job. A lot of people in this forum recommend premium strops because in their view they work better, I certainly doubt this. They do look great and the craftsmanship is superior for sure., good examples are Tony Miller's, SRD and HandAmerican. I have been very happy with my Illinois 827, which is a Russian strop; the different being that you strop on the rough side of the leather. For comparison, the 127 is the opposite. It also includes linen, which can be pasted in the reverse, this is what I do with my diamond paste. It is wide enough (2 1/2") to accommodate most razors but you still have learn and use an X-pattern (this is just the best way to obtain more consistent results). It is also long enough to allow a good smooth stroke. It is pretty solidly built but lacks the bells and whistles that others have and set them apart in a different category. And although I do not think price should play too much of a role in the decision, considering how long strops last, you can buy either the 827 or the 127 for around $35. This, in my opinion is an excellent value, which is what I normally use to make my decisions.

Al raz.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by altshaver

Hello All,

For my first strop, I purchased a Ruprazor Filly strop. I think this strop is a great learning tool; however, I think it has a high learning curve to it. I find that I am having difficulty using this strop due to it being narrow and requiring an x-pattern. In fact, I am worried that I may have dulled my razor using this strop for the first time. I was thinking of getting a 3-inch wide strop and was wondering if anyone could provide any recommendations. I am somewhat interested in SRD's Premium IV. In the future, I plan on going back to the Filly to learn the x-pattern, but for now I would like to use something easier so that I can focus on my shaving technique. Thanks for all help.

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I used a narrow Dovo Best Russian strop for my first few
years of straight shaving. I don't think that using an X-stroke
adds much to the learning curve of stropping, but I could be
wrong. Most of the strops I'm interested in these days are
3", so that's what I use, but I'd be happy with 1 1/2".

If I were you I'd stick with the filly for now, and then you can
explore other options once you've got the hang of this one.

- Scott

Quote:

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Originally Posted by niftyshaving

I am sure glad they are out of stock today. My SAD
wiggled my credit card very badly...

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Those strops are something special, for sure. I've been lucky
enough to try one belonging to another member, but not lucky
enough to own one myself :)

- Scott

Thanks for the replies everyone. Ironically, I own a Kanayama 50000, but it is not to be touched until I am very good at stropping. I was thinking that a 3-inch strop would be easier to use as the width of the strop covers the whole blade's width, allowing a simpler back and forth motion with no sideways motion involved as with utilizing an x-pattern stropping technique. I was thinking that a strop like this would allow me to focus more on my shaving technique, but this might not be the case. From what most people are saying, there is not much of a difference using a 3-inch strop. I'll have to think about this for awhile. I am definitely looking forward to the day when I become skilled at stropping. Thanks again. Looking forward to any more thoughts and recommendations.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by altshaver

.....
Looking forward to any more thoughts and recommendations.

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Some wide strops seem to cup -- when a slightly narrower
one does not. The x on any two inch or wider strop will
feel natural with some deliberate smooth practice.

My first strop was a 2" Dorko with a linen backing and it served me well. I certainly didnt find it too hard to learn on. I've now got an SRD 3" black latigo with webbed fabric, which is a really great strop!

The additional benefit of the SRD strops is that they are modular, so if you slice the leather up you can just order a replacement bit of leather for about $30, rather than having to shell out for a whole new strop.

First of all, I can't recommend the SRD Strops enough... I just LOVE them.

Secondly, and this is completely unrelated, I have only EVER used 3'' strops, never anything smaller... Yet, when my mind wanders while I strop, every now and then, I'll snap back mentally, but not physically, and, upon looking at my razor, realize I was subconsciously doing an x pattern on a 3 inch strop.... And, like I said, I've never had a strop that mandated an x pattern...

Weird, huh?

this is nice. i just replaced my cut of latigo with a nice bridle replacement

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Originally Posted by Stubear

My first strop was a 2" Dorko with a linen backing and it served me well. I certainly didnt find it too hard to learn on. I've now got an SRD 3" black latigo with webbed fabric, which is a really great strop!

The additional benefit of the SRD strops is that they are modular, so if you slice the leather up you can just order a replacement bit of leather for about $30, rather than having to shell out for a whole new strop.

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I've been using a dovo 2" strop for a couple of months and have now got a dovo XL 3" wide strop making stropping a lot easier, but not sure if the red side is a replacement for the cloth on the smaller strop ? :confused:

altshaver,

I couldn't agree more...That's one reason that I opted for a 3" wide strop for my first strop back in December. I have been very pleased with my VB 3" Latigo strop.

I know of at least two vendors who advertise here at SRP that offer a 3" wide strop. One is SRD, the other is Vintage Blades. There may be others that I am not familiar with.

Check out their websites. I think whichever 3" strop you get from either of them will be a good choice.

I am leaning towards getting a 3-inch strop. I feel this will be much easier to use than the Filly. I am leaning towards a 3-inch SRD strop so that I can have readily available replacement leather in the event that I ruin the strop. Tony MIller's strops look great as well and would be my preference, but his shop is only periodically open and may not be open in the future. I'll have to think about it.

I have the SRD IV and it is everything you think a strop should be. From just a leather perspective it's damn nice. Nice even draw like the belt is magnetized and attracts the blade. Easy to keep your blade flat whether doing it straight or X pattern. It's as good as ShavedZombie says. :D

I started out on an Illinois 827 because it was considered a mid level strop that had a linen side. I liked that strop because it was hard to nick and of course it worked fine.

I bought a TM 3inch strop and actually found it more difficult to strop up and down versus the X pattern. I guess I had been accustomed to using the X pattern with the 827. After some practice with the 3 inch I was able to become proficient using it.

I have a vintage Red Imp strop that is my favorite and it is 2.5 inches wide. This is the size I prefer because I can get most of the blade on it while still doing a crisp X stroke

Well, I decided to go with an SRD Premium IV 3-inch strop. I'll let you know my impressions of it and whether or not I feel it is easier to use.

Even when using a wider strop you should use an X pattern. Ken Rup says it himself, the width is nice but the X pattern helps the edge a lot.

Practice, practice, practice...
Then more practice.

The filly is a nice strop btw, it has a good draw to it. I use mine a lot even though I own a Tony Miller.