Thread: My very first strop arrived but I have an issue

The item is this one.
Amazon.com: Body Toolz Horsehide Leather & Canvas Barber Strop: Beauty

Seems to be a generic horse hide strop. no brands or any marking at all.
Maybe I went too cheap

Compa;
It would be a good one to "learn" on anyway. Once you become proficient at stropping, then you can spend more money. Check out the classified section for more bargains on quality strops.
On a side note, my first two strops are hanging in my basement. I use them on knives and tools because I didn't know what I was doing and they are all chopped up. That was Pre-SRP days.
Mike

Thanx for the advise Mike
I am looking at the classifieds right now. Might keep the straight shaving un hold for a while until I'm able to get a good strop from here.

I also talked to my mother because she helped me a year ago to send a small package to the US (Mail office is close to her) and asked how much they charged. She told me "about 13$" and what I sent in that occasion was the size of a wallet.

The box the strop came is about 6"x6"x6" >:/
Time is also against me >:\ took 20 days to get to my hands. that only gives me 10 days to return it...

in the end, I guess getting a new one is going to be cheaper than returning the selected item.

I appreciate a lot the help you gave me guys
I learned a lot and the most important thing was to get items from the ones who know... that means you hehe n___n
You use them, you know what ruins the items and hence you know how to pack them

I'll be in touch.

Unless the vendor is willing to pay return shipping it sounds like it may not be worth it (sometimes you can ask them for a shipping charge code, or sometimes they will send you a shipping label that will result in a charge to them, and not you).

Either way, you certainly need to leave your feedback as a reviewer at the link/site you posted above so that others will know about the quality issue (I personally think that unless the strop was folded, which it doesn't sound like what happened, it should not have developed cracks). I have received no less than 6 strops in the mail in the last 6 months (3 of them were vintage), and almost all of them were coiled in a "U" shape without an issue ... seems to me that the leather quality is inferior, and was not pliable enough to be rolled up.

You know, now that you say that... I wonder if the people at the customs made something.
Sometimes, when you order items from outsides, the custom agents open the package to check it.
I remember one time I ordered some books. one of the books had a slice on the back cover. I was angry and told my courier company about it and they told me "we rarely open the packages, and when we do we do not use a knife, must have been at the custom, sorry for the inconvenience"

prolly someone opened the box, picked up the strop and when tried to put it back in the box, he/she tried to fold it in the wrong direction... that's a possibility ¬¬

What I'm going to do the next time I buy one (from the classifieds) is to ask the vendor to use some styrofoam or cardboard on both sides of the strop to protect it from knives and if possible to pack it flat even if it means I'll have to pay a bit extra for the shipping :P hehe.

On the good side, the canvas strop is in perfect condition

I would take some pics and send them to the vendor asking if they would cover the return shipping fees. No point in being stuck with a piece of junk and it sounds like it is their fault for not packing correctly.

What is your budget for strop?

I sent them a picture in my first mail. I think that's why they told me to send it back... but since now I'm not sure who's responsible for it (they or the custom agents) I can't just blame on to them.

My initial budget was something between the 25-30$. Now I think I'll just work around something a bit higher. up to 45$ sounds good?

Anyways, I'll have to wait for a bit. maybe I'll think about getting a new one the next month and keep on hold the use of the razor.