Thread: Beginner Strop Help

Hey guys I recently got my first straight, a Dovo 5/8 Special tortoise and the only strop I currently have is a knives ship free/bark river double sided paddle with green/black compound loaded. I have yet to strop with the green side on my new razor but plan to see if that will bring the edge to life before each shave. If not, do you think any of these strops sold by star shaving supplies will be a good start because I need the cheapest option that works well:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leather-Stro...item19ca2eaf42
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leather-Stro...item19ca2e4818
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Leather-Stra...item19ca2e5e7c

Will one of the basic models without the white linen surface be okay? If I go with one of those, would I need to strop on the fuzzy side first before the leather?

Thanks for any help

Stropping with paste before each shave seems a little extreme.

Michael

Originally Posted by mjsorkin

Stropping with paste before each shave seems a little extreme.

Michael

I agree.
I have never used pastes, however, given what I have read here, they are for touching up and are somewhat abrasive.
I usually do 80/100 linen/leather after honing and 40/60 before shaving with 20 laps on the linen afterwards.
I like the look of the strops you have linked to and IMHO any of them would be good for a first strop.
I would be inclined towards the one with felt and leather, if I was looking to buy one.
Hope this helps

Originally Posted by eneyman

If I go with one of those, would I need to strop on the fuzzy side first before the leather?

Nope, you only use the smooth side of the leather.

If you go with a leather only model you can strop on denim or newspaper - I cut off the leg of an old pair of jeans and tacked it to a flat board. That seems to work OK.

For your daily shaver, You need an untreated/unpasted strop. Just plain leather. Any type of paste or compound would be for touch ups when your blade is dull. You don't want to do that very often, only when need.

Any one of those strops in the link you provided would be fine. I like the one in the second link with the felt/linen component. Also, English bridle has good draw, it's not too slick. Get your method down on that, before you move on to the more expensive strops. If you take your time, and concentrate on what your doing, you can avoid cutting it, which is a common to new users. Most guys like to do 20-30 laps on linen, and then 50-75 on leather prior to each shave. Check this link too:
RupRazor - The Filly

Ken has a plain leather strop for about 20 bucks. Great for beginners...

If you have a Tandy leather by you, you can pick up 3" wide belt leather, which is great stropping material. If your so inclined. You can fabricate your own, and have enough to make a paddle for pasting. http://www.tandyleatherfactory.com/e.../4523-190.aspx

I was also going to recommend the filly. I recently got one and it works really well IMHO and for the price you can't go wrong. I find that with the filly I can do 25-30 laps and that is all I need to do.

Originally Posted by zib

For your daily shaver, You need an untreated/unpasted strop. Just plain leather. Any type of paste or compound would be for touch ups when your blade is dull. You don't want to do that very often, only when need.

Any one of those strops in the link you provided would be fine. I like the one in the second link with the felt/linen component. Also, English bridle has good draw, it's not too slick. Get your method down on that, before you move on to the more expensive strops. If you take your time, and concentrate on what your doing, you can avoid cutting it, which is a common to new users. Most guys like to do 20-30 laps on linen, and then 50-75 on leather prior to each shave. Check this link too:
RupRazor - The Filly

Ken has a plain leather strop for about 20 bucks. Great for beginners...

If you have a Tandy leather by you, you can pick up 3" wide belt leather, which is great stropping material. If your so inclined. You can fabricate your own, and have enough to make a paddle for pasting. Tandy Leather Factory - Natural Cowhide Leather Strips

+1 on Zib's recommendation.

any idea if there is a difference between the brown/tan and burgundy english bridle.. for some reason the brown has sold alot more on that guys ebay shop..

I am not familiar with either the vendor or his product, but the second one looked good, you really need a strop with both components, leather and linen. As for color that would just be personal preference.

I would recommend the strop with the linen attatched to it. I personally do 30 round trips on the linen before 60 round trips on the leather, although everybody has their own routine. Good luck with your choice.