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So I have had about 3 painful horrible experiences with a straight razor. The razor was professionally honed by Ken Rupkalvis so I know it was shave ready. I am still learning to strop so I am in the market for a good strop that will help me learn. What would all of you knowledgeable straight shavers recommend? I saw this one on ebay and it is in my price range.
SHAVE READY STRAIGHT RAZOR & 3.25" LEATHER STROP | eBay
Any comments on this one? Any recommendations will be welcome. Thanks!
That kit is just crap, forget about it.
Check out the classifieds here and www.whippedog.com for a inexpensive starter kit.
Haha thanks for the heads up. how do tell its crap? just experience or is it the make up of the strop?Quote:
Originally Posted by Blix
I think people here have warned to stay away from B&B products. The clue would be that you get a razor and a strop for less
than one would normally pay for either one of good quality. There are more than 10 available. Generally, one gets what one pays
for. If they have 10 of them and can sell them at a profit, what did they pay for them?
What Ace said...
Quote:
Originally Posted by ladavis89
Its on ebay.
Save your money for another little bit, and then head over to the SRD website and check out the "strop shop". You can't go wrong with anything from them. Top notch strops. My favorite is the Premium III, but many others here also like the Premium I and IV.
Many people say not to fall in love with your first strop because you'll end up cutting it learning how to strop.
Would you consider a paddle strop? It's much easier to learn on and it's convenient for travel. The main downside is it doesn't hang right beside your sink. The main upside is you probably won't hack it to pieces learning how to strop. I haven't...yet.
I would consider a paddle strop. However, if I learn on one, will it make it easier to learn on a regular strop? Or will I still have the same learning curve I have now?
I don't know the answer to that question as I'm satisfied with my paddle strop. I guess you'd have to ask yourself if you need a hanging strop for any particular reason.
I get the feeling from watching videos that a hanging strop is faster.
Avoid eBay like the plague. Its just far too easy to pick up something rubbish and chuck the money away on something you cant use. Once you've spent a bit more time here and got some good kit you'll know what to look out for and the markers of rubbish kit. As a rule "shaving" kits (apostrophes deliberate because you cant actually shave with them) from eBay like Zeepk, B&B and so on are useless and poorly made.
I'd recommend one of the SRD strops, whether one of the Premium line or something like the red or black latigo. I have the black latigo with webbed fabric and its fantastic. Not too pricey to buy, does a great job and has the benefit of being modular so if you do nick the leather you can replace it for a pretty small outlay. That would be my pick.
Since the strop is a vital part of the straight shave, I think I will just invest in the Premium line from SRD. Now that you said you can easily replace it if it is damaged, I don't have to worry about buying another strop later on. If I buy a good strop now I should be set for life right? Especially if the quality of SRD is as good as everyone says it is.
I just put in an order for a SRD Premium IV. Can't wait to use it! I will let you all know how it works.
You don't have to tell us. The SRD Premium IV is easily the best strop value on the market :)
Congratulations on a good decision
Good decision, indeed. You won't be disappointed.
Paddle strop is easier to start on considering you don't have to worry about how much pressure you need for a hanging one. Paddle strop just a small amount of pressure, you know it will be flat and straight cause its a paddle strop. I just like them more now too.
That is true, and I may buy a paddle strop later on. But, I wanted to learn on a hanging strop because if I can master that, I can surely use a paddle strop correctly later on.
I'm in the same boat as your are. I decided to find a couple of used quality horse leather strops on ebay to practice with. I paid about $65.00 for both of them combined.
I have read too many stories about guys new to stropping buying brand new strops only to end up cutting them. I consider myself a very careful guy when it comes to taking care of my stuff. I start stropping last night and sure as can be, I noticed shallow cuts on my strop. I think I was slightly pulling the blade across the strop as I was flipping the blade over to pull toward me. After making such a slight error, I'm glad I didn't purchase a brand new SRD strop just yet. I'll let my two used strops from ebay take the majority of battle scars. Once I'm really confident in my stropping abilities, I'll be getting a nice SRD strop.
I really like the SRD Premium IV that I bought. I am also new to stropping but I have yet to knick the leather....I have done at least 500 passes so far without a problem. I like the fact that if I do cut it on accident, I can replace the leather for about $30 without replacing the whole strop. So, this strop could very well last me my whole life. For me this strop is easier to use than my previous beginner strop because it is the width of the blade. This eliminates alot of the side to side motion that could cause destruction...
I love posts that make a whole lot of sense... *bold is mineQuote:
Originally Posted by ladavis89
Don't buy anything marked B&B. Really very low quality, crap.
I'm currently eying the SRD modular paddle Strop. Anyone have any experience with it? I'm new to straight edge shaving, but I'm not going back to cartridge (I can guarantee it, my skin won't let me) - and I'm no stranger to knife care (I've also been preferential to a Sapphire stone to finish off an edge, and never tried a leather strop).
Or what about a Roo strop?
Looks like I'll be spending 60-90 for the strop...
I do not have an SRD paddle, and I won't comment about that one specifically. I will share with you my preference for hanging strops over the paddles I've tried. For everyday maintenance, I think you'll be much better off going with the Premium IV. I've had two, and they are 2 of my 3 favorite strops. I know the SRD Paddle to be excellent by reputation, but I think it's more of a tool for the finishing stages of razor sharpening than for everyday maintenance based on my experience with other paddles and also what I've been told by others with experience with SRD's paddle.
Thanks for that little bit of experience. The only reason I was leaning towards a paddle was because I move back into my dorm in a few weeks, and I'm not sure if I'll have a place to hang it from. But, hopefully the friend I'll be rooming with (who turned me onto Straight Edge shaving) will be able to figure something out.Quote:
Originally Posted by richmondesi
What about Kangaroo hide? Anyone have any experience with that? I was thinking of buying that one from SRD, then buying a cheaper replacement leather at the same time. I would swap them out as soon as I got them, use the cheaper leather to get practiced, then switch to the Roo.
I don't know anything about their Roo strop, so I can't comment on it. I will say that of all the strops I've used their English Bridle is the best, hands down. The Premium I was highly regarded by most, and I personally didn't find it nearly as effective. Recently, I drastically cut down on my gear and literally alternate two to three razors at a time. So, maintainance has really become a major focus for me, and the English IV keeps me very happy. There's a guy in Norway who makes the other, but with shipping and customs delays, I'd have to recommend going with the Premium IV based on my experience. I've been waiting for SRD to send me one of each of their strops for testing for about 8 months now... :rofl2:Quote:
Originally Posted by mbrowne5061
I'm a beginner also and I'm starting out with the whipped dog poor man's strop. actually, I'm in for the "$7 Special." I'm sure I'm going to nick and otherwise damage it, so when I do, I'm out $7. I eventually plan on replacing it with an Illinois/Fromm strop once I get the hang of it.
I had gone to Star Shaving and picked up one of his 3" Big Daddy strops earlier this year. Thing cost me less than $30 and I love it. I just lathered it up and let it sat, I also palm it whenever I'm in the seated position in that room (if you know what I mean...eeewww). No nicks yet and it has a nice draw to it.
With very cheap poor quality strop you may not only lose 7$, but also ruin your razor. That will cost you more money.Quote:
Originally Posted by U2Bono269
I have a SRD hanging strop. Love it. As Richmondesi stated, easy to replace, and you can rest assured that it will in fact show up to your door. Technical side note: Anything wider than 3 inches could be cumbersome.
Buy the best you can afford, then practice stropping on a hanging shoestring until it arrives!
I started on a 2" wide strop, and it worked (still works) great, but since then I've graduated to a 3" strop and I definitely prefer not having to make an x-pattern. It's just easier and I feel like I can get into a nice rhythm faster with it. So if you can afford it, my advice would be to go with a 3".
On the flip side, you may cut it to shreds, and a 3" is typically more expensive. My first strop doesn't have a single nick on it, whereas my cousin's has some real nice "character marks."