Thread: Kangaroo travel strop

My problem has always been keeping a strop small enough to travel with easily. Up until now I have used a paddle strop, and that worked, but it was still too big to fit into my Dopp kit with the rest of my shaving gear.

This, I think, is the answer.

It would never work with any other type of leather. But the thinness and tensile strength of kangaroo leather means that I can make a usable sized strop (This one is 2 1/8" X 17 1/4") but have it still thin enough to roll up and put into a travel tube.

The leather has almost no stretch, and has 3/16" brass rod in the top and bottom, so it stays nice and flat during use. I just drilled a dice to make the handle because I couldn't find a bead that looked any good around the house. That will do for the prototype. The thong is also kangaroo, to keep it thin yet strong enough. It is a good, simple way of securing a travel strop, because you can just tie it to whatever is handy in the hotel room, camp ground, railway freight carriage, etc.

I just tried it on a 7/8 full wedge and it worked fine!

What do you think?

Wow that looks amazing.

Looks fantastic!

What kind of pins/screws are those?

Originally Posted by TheZ

Looks fantastic!

What kind of pins/screws are those?

Ahhh... They are one of the secret ingredients. They are 1/8 Chicago screws, never seen before in captivity.

What do I think? Well....necessity has always been the mother of invention, and this is clearly no exception. I also love hanging strops, so that fact that you've made a "shorty" is just pure genius.

You're in the same league as the gentleman who invented variable speed windshield wipers, and the person who invented toast.

Originally Posted by Maxi

What do I think? Well....necessity has always been the mother of invention, and this is clearly no exception. I also love hanging strops, so that fact that you've made a "shorty" is just pure genius.

You're in the same league as the gentleman who invented variable speed windshield wipers, and the person who invented toast.

Ah, the Maquis de Toast, 1792 I believe. Thank you very much sir.

Looks great, nice work.

Ideal for those 'short hops'

That's the nicest travel strop I've ever seen. Roo is a great leather for stropping and this is a wonderful example of using its thinness to advantage. Well done Sir!

Legion...Nice strop, and a great idea!

I have a roo hide strop, made by MickR. It's a bit longer and wider than yours. I just returned from
an extended road trip, and I just laid it flat in the suitcase, but I didn't try rolling it up.

Roo hide is great and it works well for me.

Paul

Excellent and innovative idea Legion. I'm jealous I didn't come up with the idea myself. Good work! Can I ask where you got those unobtanium chicago screws from? I've been wanting to use them myself. My own travelling 'roo strop is just a standard 2"x20" that I roll around the dee ring handles. Less complicated but not as fancy as yours.


Mick

P.S You might need to sew the edges down to hold the rod in place or drill through them and thread the 'roo lace through to keep them in place. The leather will stretch/soften with use, and they might slide out over time.