ya beat me to it.
:beer1:
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Well , yeah it could be just a strip of leather but when you consider strop makers throw out a lot of the hide they buy to get the ideal strip it then becomes a very special strip of leather.
If you make your own it should be cut lengthways near the spine of the hide to get the grain correct & prevent cupping. I've made a few strops in the past but none even come close to a quality strop but yeah to get started you could make something that works ok. On a side note I've only ever bought 2 strops, both expensive but considering the first one has lasted nearly 30 years the cost is relatively minimal.
Ah yes. Good advice.
I expect I will buy a expensive one one day. I usually can't help myself :p
Since this is my first one and there is a chance it will get messed up by my inexperience I am a bit wary of spending too much... but at the same time don't want to be handicapped by junk. Also, I always like the feeling of using something that I have made myself... But then it would be easier to make one if I had one to model it off and to use to work out what changes I might like when I'm custom building one. What to do, what to do?... :thinking:
Whatever you choose just go lightly & slowly when stropping & practice a lot of the technique with a butter knife & just practice the dexterity of flipping the razor without the strop. That should minimise any accidents.
Give Keith and Joan a call at the Australian Knifemakers Supply.
They have a website, or telephone 08 9572 7255.
They'll have what you need, and are also a good source of very economically priced razors and other shave gear.