Thread: How mny strops have you gone through?

I've got the SRD Premium I, III and IV (last with premium webbing) as well as their paddle strop. My first strop was a 2" SRD latigo that I PIFed to a buddy at work after I my stropping technique improved to the point where I was no longer nicking the strop. Even then, she only suffered a few cuts before the PIF. I think the paddle strop really helped me to nail down my muscle memory before moving back to the traditional, hanging strops.

I have been through so many strops that I can't even count them all. I usually go through them now in about 3-6 months because of all the honing I do. The metal particles simply imbed in them until they are ineffective for me. I have tried sanding and refinishing them with not very good results, so I switch them out now when they quit producting good results. I have gone to stropping 20-30 times on linen before leather after honing to extend the life a little.

I don't really cut them, but have been known to nick up most of the ones I use.

Have fun.

Originally Posted by Lynn

I have been through so many strops that I can't even count them all. I usually go through them now in about 3-6 months because of all the honing I do. The metal particles simply imbed in them until they are ineffective for me. I have tried sanding and refinishing them with not very good results, so I switch them out now when they quit producting good results. I have gone to stropping 20-30 times on linen before leather after honing to extend the life a little.

I don't really cut them, but have been known to nick up most of the ones I use.

Have fun.

Mr Abrams, asking you is simply not fair! After all, you've honed tens of thousands of razors!!

First and only strop is a 3 inch English bridle leather one with felt instead of linen. Been using it 4 months and in the beginning nicked it up where my strokes ended before I got the hang flipping the razor after I had reversed direction of travel. Buffed those out with the wife's pumice stone and just carried on. Should be good for years baring any major cuts.

Bob

It's not so much a matter of "going through strops". I find it more about "aquiring more strops". I have six right now, and each one gets fair play. But...of course, the more the merrier.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...ch-2011-a.html

That thread has just a bit of info in there..

Gotta say thanks to Mark aka Speedster also as his visit to White Boots in Spokane, that and a little work in my shop scored each us a beautiful 3x24 bench strop last week
His was done with CeOx I still haven't committed mine to a paste yet..

And, don't forget the 3x24 buffalo leather bench strop you gave me just because. Now I have to figure out what to do with that one.

I didn't mention all of these additional strops lest someone think I have yet another AD.

I have not really "gone through" any. I still have my first strop - it is up in the cupboard wrapped in butcher's paper, and I still have every strop I either acquired or made (minus those I have given away, of course) since then.

At the moment, I use on a regular basis around 4 strops: a retractable with nice horse shell leather, a home-made that uses soft cow leather I got off a leather "artist" that they use to strop their cutting gear on, an Illinois something or other I got because it had a linen side (don't use the linen side at all after I tried it...), and a double-sided kangaroo strop I made years ago now. The retractable has a few nicks, as does the kangaroo, but surprisingly the others are all intact.

But that is always the way - our older strops bear the scars of our stropping sins, like little leathery Jesuses.

James.

I bought a SRD 2" latigo strop when I purchased my first razor after hearing I was bound to destroy my first strop and that it was a good place to start. I recently sold it to a friend for 10 dollars who was starting shaving with a straight. Due to the fact that I was scared I would cut it in half I started off very very slow, and the strop only has minor nicks at the ends that I lightly sanded off.

The only strop I have currently is a 3" red ambrose strop that is duel leather with rows of divets imprinted on one side, the other side is a beautiful silky smooth stropping surface.

I would like to get a Shell Cordovan sometime...but for now there are many other things I want/need more.

The David (aka Earcutter) and strops... just ain't friends lol. I have sliced right through one, nicked every strop or strop substitute I have ever had, and still do dumb stuff to this day!

Take the other day as an example - I was stropping away and thought to myself wow - look at me go! I think I am stropping faster than the speed of light itself as all i could see was a blur! Surely this would be something to see from a different perspective... From the mirror I could see myself gouge the only strop I have never gouged lol!!

Heck - I literally cut through a strop once!

There is no way I am telling how many I have had in the little time I have been using a straight, but let’s just say I have had to replace my strops more frequently than my creams lol!!