Strop source in Australia?

I'm just starting out with straights (I've been wetshaving with DE's and SE's for years but have always been a bit chicken about straights) and I'm slowly putting my rig together. I have a razor, I just ordered a barber hone and I guess I will pick up a Norton hone when the budget allows...

I have a strop but it is just an ebay cheapy and now I have discovered you guys, and read a lot more, I'm thinking it is not good enough and want to start with something reliable.

Can anyone recommend somewhere or someone in Australia who can supply a good quality starter strop? I don't need anything fancy but, as a newby, I need to be able to trust that my failures are because of my technique rather than my equipment.

Also, I was reading about stropping on newspaper. Would this suffice until I can lay my hands on a leather strop? I don't really want to start until I have at least the basic equipment.

what ebay cheapy did you get?
Illinois (and if i dare mention Body Toolz may have been a glitch)is werry usable
Beauty & Barber+ zeepk goes directly to the bin
selective new york i think has a ok fabric and dont think that the leather does to much damage(still bad but atleast not worst in class)

The brand says Selective Professional Tools 1911

It was bought some time ago but never used. The leather side seems to have almost like light surface cracks in it. It feels smooth when I run my fingers over it but... yeah, not confident with the quality. The other side is vinyl!

oh the one i got was actually cotton webbing on the fabric
no i wont recomend the vinyl

i would suggest(for temporary use)
rub the leather with a pumice stone or emery paper an apply a little leather conditioner
bin the vinyl and get a seatbelt(you really gonna like this later too)

found this one Razor Strops & Accessories - Shaver City

B&B seems to have made a list too Australia shaving supplies - ShaveWiki

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Originally Posted by janivar123

found this one Razor Strops & Accessories - Shaver City

B&B seems to have made a list too Australia shaving supplies - ShaveWiki

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Ah yes, cool thanks!

Um... OK. This could be the dumbest question of the day... Cough...

I've been reading the tutorials on DIY. And it seems like a strop is just a piece of leather. Am I missing something?

Could it be as simple as me finding some good quality, thick cow leather and suspending a strip of it? Because I can do that...

What I mean is, is there any other preparation that is applied to the leather that makes it special for stropping razors? I'm trying to see why a shop bought strop costs $100. If it was hand made and tooled in some fancy way I get it. Or if there is some special coating applied that I am missing I get it.

But it seems to be just leather. Should I just make one? It might actually be quicker than trying to track one down and ordering it.

No, it's just smooth leather (different varieties/cuts provide different suppleness and 'draw'), so you can ake your own quite easily - see the wiki for details.
But for change from AU$30 you can get one of these Leather Straight Razor Strop, 28"L X 2 1/2"W,"Big Mama" - eBay Strops, Sharpeners, Shaving, Vanity, Perfume Shaving, Collectibles. (end time 12-Jul-10 14:32:40 AEST) delivered to your door.
He sells both larger and smaller strops, as well as other tonsorial products, all at very good prices.

I have no affiliation with this person whatsoever, apart from being a customer and always receiving first-class merchandise and even better service.
I'm not one to ususally spruik about a trader, but this fellow is so genuine, in providing such quality at so little profit (compared to other strop-manufacturers), that he deserves a commendation.

FWIW the felt component is particularly useful for training purposes, as it is *far* harder to 'nick' than leather.



ed

A strop can be as elaborate or as basic as you want it to be. But in the end it boils down to leather.

So if you are OK with putting a couple of eyelets in a bit of cow leather, by all means go do it for yourself.

In Australia there are numerous sources for strops. The Shaver Shop sells black beauty strops. There is also another site that is almost up called The Razor Shop that sells various strops as well.

James.

I tried a illinios Strop and it was okay...Then I went down to the local leather shop and asked for a couple of peices of leather that was 3 inches wide (which is 4 kilometers in Australian...:)) Any way, I walked out with 2 strops with holes at both ends where I could attach a piece of rawhide or large key ring to afix (not sure if that is a word) to the wall...One piece of lether was a reddish color, and that one is by far my favorite (very smooth).....So, the short story is take a hike down to the local leather shop (belt and saddle makers; not sissy boy purse places) and ask for a couple cut to length and try that. cost me $10.00 American (which is about 40 yen in Australian:)) Good luck. :beer2:

I remember someone made a strop out of kangaroo leather with success, and I think you guys have that in abundance down there?

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Originally Posted by mainaman

I remember someone made a strop out of kangaroo leather with success, and I think you guys have that in abundance down there?

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ya beat me to it.

:beer1:

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Originally Posted by mainaman

I remember someone made a strop out of kangaroo leather with success, and I think you guys have that in abundance down there?

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Yeah it's pretty easy to get. I might stick with cow leather though. Cows are bigger, slower moving and easier to hit. :p

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Originally Posted by Legion

I've been reading the tutorials on DIY. And it seems like a strop is just a piece of leather. Am I missing something?

Could it be as simple as me finding some good quality, thick cow leather and suspending a strip of it? Because I can do that...

What I mean is, is there any other preparation that is applied to the leather that makes it special for stropping razors? I'm trying to see why a shop bought strop costs $100. If it was hand made and tooled in some fancy way I get it. Or if there is some special coating applied that I am missing I get it.

But it seems to be just leather. Should I just make one? It might actually be quicker than trying to track one down and ordering it.

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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.

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Originally Posted by onimaru55

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.

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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.