Thread: Practice Strop

OK another new guy jumping in. What if I just use a belt for my practice strop? Actually bought it to use as a holster belt. It would need some oil and breaking in.

I just went and measured, it may be to narrow 1 3/8". I would like better than the practice strops I have seen.

Would learning on a narrow strop hinder you moving to the 3"?

Originally Posted by whiteweed

OK another new guy jumping in. What if I just use a belt for my practice strop? Actually bought it to use as a holster belt. It would need some oil and breaking in.

*** I see nothing wrong with practicing. Since I don't know the state of the said belt, I suggest practicing with a dull butter knife. ***

I just went and measured, it may be to narrow 1 3/8". I would like better than the practice strops I have seen.

Would learning on a narrow strop hinder you moving to the 3"?

*** Not at all. I always recommend starting with a 2" strop, which offers a good opportunity to practice the X pattern. After that, I find moving up to a 3" a pleasure. ***

Regards,
Obie

I am learning on a cheap 2" strop right now, and I even find it fun. I would practice on some leather belts I have and it would be the same...

So keep on using what you,ve got and have fun,

Gilles

Be careful with the belts though. Another member here actually dulled her razor by using a belt as the leather was all wrong. I'm not saying you cant use a belt, but you need to make sure the leather is of a high enough quality with no blemishes that could damage the edge.

The narrowness wont hinder you though, so no worries there.

Another option if you want to get your own strop are the SRD strops, which are modular. This means you can replace the leather component if you slice it, without the outlay of a whole new strop.

Good luck and keep us posted!

Just my personal opinion, based on some experimentation and personal history. I absolutely love 3" strops. I have one that is smaller, but it is seeing less and less use. The SRD strops have parts that can be replaced, so if you can manage the initial investment, there is no reason for compromises - they will blow all other strops I have tried out of the water in the long run. Check the strop review section for details.

Regards,
Robin