Have yet to purchase first strop

Hey all. So i have yet to purchase my strop yet even though I have completed my first shave with my new razor. So I am at odds as to were to even start considering all the nylon webbing, foam, the different leathers one could use, paddle vs hanging. Just seems to be so much info.

I went to a place in my neighborhood that handles very fine Japanese cooking knives and they have a double sided leather paddle strops that they use for the knives there which are the sharpest kitchen knives I have ever had the graces to hold. Any reason why one of these units wouldn't work?

I appreciate any advice

My first strop turned out, for me, to be a good choice. It's the "Illinois 127" and cost about $35. The leather I especially liked, but the fabric was good too. It's marketed by Fromm. Yes, I nicked it quite a bit, but I've repaired it along the way and I still use the fabric as a pasted strop, and the leather is still worth using too.

I "graduated" to a SRD Premium I with their standard fabric recently and I'm so glad I didn't start with that. Each nick would have broken my heart! I bought another SRD P1 used on this site, with a pasted fabric strop, and that one I keep in my shop for honing.

For a starter strop I think maybe there are better strops than the Illinois 127, but it did the job for me.

You don't want to get emotionally attached to that first strop!

I have used a paddle strop since I started shaving w/ a SR @ 3 yrs ago & it works great. Japanese blades are known for their keen edges. I don't see any reason why they wouldn't work although I don't claim to be an expert. How much do their paddles cost anyway?

Julio

I would recommend a Poly or Nylon strop. Any fabric store or camping supply will have 2in flat strapping material for just a couple of dollars.

I really like the fine weave Nylon, similar to seat belt, but softer.The coarse weave works well also. The very fine weave will burnish an edge as good as leather and quicker.

More importantly it will allow you to learn the stropping technique without slicing up expensive leather strops like a ghetto pimp.

The nylon/poly strops are almost impossible to cut or nick, even stropping edge first, at least with the fine weave.

Try the Nylon/Poly for a month or two, or until you don’t hit the strop edge first, then buy inexpensive Leather because you are probably still not as good as you think you are, before you invest in a nice wide artisan strop.

I think you will still like the Nylon/Poly and finish on leather.


Enjoy

Marty

Check out the strops at thesuperiorshave.com as well as other sources. Their
"Walkn' Horse" line has some beautiful offerings.

RupRazor - The Filly

Enjoy!!! :D

It's 20 bucks even. Great to learn on, best material than any strop at its price. Even has a pasted side which other strops at this price don't even have. Get one, you won't regret it :D

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Angelous

RupRazor - The Filly

Enjoy!!! :D

It's 20 bucks even. Great to learn on, best material than any strop at its price. Even has a pasted side which other strops at this price don't even have. Get one, you won't regret it :D

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Heck. I'd like to have one of those.

Just don't spend a fortune on the first one. When I started it took a month to turn the razor properly and as a result I have nicks & cuts at each end. I sand them down and treat the strop with olive oil but it's not pretty. It's an Illinois #206 (2 Strap: Leather & Linen) BTW, $35CDN, cheaper in the US I'm sure.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Angelous

RupRazor - The Filly

Enjoy!!! :D

It's 20 bucks even. Great to learn on, best material than any strop at its price. Even has a pasted side which other strops at this price don't even have. Get one, you won't regret it :D

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Free shipping in the US but $14 to ship to Canada. Seems a little high.

+1 on the Philly strop. I have seen lots of people here say that it was there first and only strop! Super fast shipping as well.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rostfrei

I have used a paddle strop since I started shaving w/ a SR @ 3 yrs ago & it works great. Japanese blades are known for their keen edges. I don't see any reason why they wouldn't work although I don't claim to be an expert. How much do their paddles cost anyway?

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They have two different strops one mass produced and another that is hand crafted by one of the gentlemen that works there they are both $50. I also agree the filly looks like a good one but $14 to Canada is a fair amount and i may get duty slapped on there as well. Honestly I think ill try one out if it doesn't work well on the razor I still have my kitchen knives.

I really appreciate the great advice I'm sure ill buy more than one eventually anyway.

Julian

Personally, I feel a 3" strop created in the fashion of Tony Miller's modular design is the way to go for a person new to straight razor shaving. The larger width will make it easier to strop initially because an X-stroke is not required, although some straight razor users utilize the X-stroke regardless of their strop's width. The modular aspect of strop will allow you to replace the leather that you might nick while learning for a relatively low cost.

Vintage Blades sells strops like these. Straight Razor Designs also sell strops like these. Tony Miller now only makes strops on a very limited basis, so he probably won't be an option. There are probably plenty of other strop makers that make a strops as I have described. I only mentioned the above vendors to give you a place to look.

Once you become adept at stropping, you'll be able to decide whether you want to keep the strop or go for something different like a HandAmerican strop or something more traditional like a Kanayama strop. The strops mentioned above should be fairly easy to sell on a BST or Classifieds.

Good luck!