Thread: Which One! Spot Quiz...

JimmyHAD has the correct answer. SRD have a fantastic line up of strops. Just in hanging strops you can range from horseleather to Roo to bison and on and on. They are all very functional and made to last forever.
Neil Millers strops reflect a level of craftmanship that may be foremost in the world and he has all the stropper prefered
leathers + some of the finest natural linen available. Truth be told you cannot have to many quality strops, quality straight razors, shaving creams, aftershaves and hones. You need to be completely submerged in straight razor shaving to attain
enlightenment! ; p

Originally Posted by roughkype

CARL! CARL MALO SCHNEIDER! STEP AWAY FROM THE KEYBOARD! THIS IS NOT A DRILL.

Hee hee, I remember when you first posted here, and strenuously (STRENUOUSLY) insisted that you'd only ever need three razors. We all thought you were so cute.

Seriously, happy shopping. I look forward to seeing your latest scores. What are you looking for in your current frenzy?

Yes, I remember those young halcyon days, in the old school yard, full of innocence, when I needed only three razors...

A very nice Swedish fellow who frequents this site and drinks a lot of coffee and is a very good friend has made available to me a couple of Swedish framebacks in original condition and another Swedish razor (shoulderless) with very nice ornate scales. I really only 'needed' one other razor to satisfy my new 'limit' of six, but couldn't resist the idea of three framebacks (I got a Klas Törnblom of him a while ago) in my new three razor case (to match the other three razor case).

So the 'frenzy' has resulted in three razors, one strop, Pashana Bay Rum hair tonic, a three razor case (the case is from Executive shaving, I got the last case about a year ago, I'd highly recommend these cases) the bowl and jug and stuff and the side table to use as a 'shaving stand' or 'wash stand'. That's almost 600 bucks worth of stuff, which is a lot for me. This is a 'tax time' splurge for me, which is when I generally go silly buying Egyptian cotton shirts made in Pakistan, very nice leather boots, fountain pens, etc...
It only comes 'round once a year, the rest of the year I'm on an 'allowance' from SWMBO so must be sensible...

Sounds like a lot of fun, Carl. Glad to hear you're treating yourself well.

Put up a pic of your new blades when you get them. Oh, and get yourself a nice fisheye lense so you can show us a picture of your entire collection!

Oh Carl, I thought I was in remission!! You got me looking at Neil's strops and now I'm sunk!! Gotta have one!!

Good luck with your choice.

Regards,

Howard

Yeah, cool aren't they? I like the old world look of them. I haven't actually SEEN one of course, or USED one, so, umm, yeah, Your Mileage May Vary...

I received my strop last night, and used it for the first time this morning. In comparison to my Dovo, this thing is massive. Using it is completely different for me than using the Dovo; the only other strop I've ever used. It has more of a draw than my Dovo, too. The Dovo is no longer in the best shape, it may need a clean or something. The wife uses hair spray in the small bathroom where it hangs. This is a really nice piece of equipment, it makes the Dovo look like a toy.

The Neil Miller strop will be used only on Sundays when I shave in my bedroom.

Carl --
Your audience would really like a detailed post-stropping report on your new acquisition's properties and capabilities.

I know you're just teasing, but...

The size difference is ridiculous; I'm really not used to a strop this size. I even found it hard to use any sort of 'X' stroke at all. In fact, I was saying on another thread that I don't actually use an X stroke; I use just one diagonal of the X (top left to bottom right, bottom right to top left).

The draw is certainly heavier than the Dovo. The hardware on this strop is solid brass I think; not that crappy stuff that LOOKS like brass; real nice brass that'll tarnish nicely. I'll have to resist using 'Brasso' to polish it. The rivets and screws are really solid and nicely done. I really like the leather embellishments on the ends as well as the stamp. The screw heads line up nicely.

Using this strop is completely different; as I said, to using the Dovo. The linen has a completely different feel than the cotton on the Dovo; in fact, through the razor, the linen feels almost harsh. I was a little worried. It seemed to me that if I rolled the edge on that lined I'd be stuffed.

I did my standard 30 on the linen, which would clearly have had more of an effect than the Dovo, just by virtue of the Dovo being so much shorter. What I mean is, a lap on this strop results in the razor being in contact with a surface by about 30% more than on the Dovo.

I then progressed to my standard 70 on leather. I could feel the difference immediately. It felt to me like the razor was dragging. I've been straight shaving for a little over a year, with just the one strop. Suddenly, I understood 'draw' so much better.

It probably sounds really silly, but I have never been any good at 'handyman' type stuff. My father is amazing with what he can do; he's a carpenter by trade, way before 'Trade School' and 'Qualifications' and 'Occupational Health and Safety Standards'; he's German, 85; a craftsman really. He always seemed to be able to do anything. Upholstering, building sheds, concreting (the old fashioned way; without a mixer), making jewellery boxes with in-laid parquetry, rebuilding engines...

I, on the other hand, sucked at everything until I joined the army. I was good at it (peace time army - 85 to 95). That made me feel better, but it still sucks that when I break the pull cord on the lawnmower I have to buy a new lawn mower. Anyway, what I'm getting at in a long-winded way, is that to me, shaving sort of gives me some of those skills my farther has. Especially in regards to honing. And also stropping. What's the next thing anyone ever says when you tell them you shave with a straight? It's SO often; "have you got one of the strop things where you do the [insert movie quality stropping motion accompanied my a 'wishhhh-wishhhh-wishhhh' sound] thing?". For me, maintaining a razor is as important as using it, it gives my a sense of 'worth'.

I wouldn't recommend this for a beginner. But I can only speak for myself. I would rather reserve something more unique than a factory strop for when I knew what I was doing. I think this is a strop more for someone who knows how to strop. My Dovo wasn't a cheap strop to buy, and it's a good, nice strop. They both cost be roughly the same. But, for a beginner, I think the Dovo serves well, and is more 'forgiving' and 'easy to use'. I actually think the Neil Miller strop in the hands of a raw beginner might be a bit iffy. A bit like learning to shoot with an M60 rather than an SLR. I'm using 'quotes' way 'too much' lately. I've been at trouble at work for 'ranting' in emails lately.

I'm a bit of a dissident. So I've developed a habit of using 'quotes' and smiley faces . You can say whatever you want given the right number of 'quotes' and smiley faces.

You can say their policies are 'unwise' .
When you say it like that it doesn't suggest they're complete morons, just that they're not as wise as you; and should and counsel from you.

Of course, the wise would know to completely and utterly discount MOST of what I said above. The wise would have honed in on the fact that I buy a new lawnmower when the pull cord breaks. The wise would know that I haven't got a clue what I'm talking about, am not to be trusted, and should take up knitting...

Oh, I forgot, the result? The razor (Burrell Top Flight) felt lovely. Smooth. I only did one pass. I only NEEDED one pass.

Carl, I wasn't jesting -- this is exactly what I wanted to know, because I think I'll be getting another strop in the near future. THANKS!

Originally Posted by mapleleafalumnus

Carl, I wasn't jesting -- this is exactly what I wanted to know, because I think I'll be getting another strop in the near future. THANKS!

No probs. I'm sure there's a lot of nice strops out there, but it's really nice to have this one. I know you're addicted to stropping, and I may be soon too. I'm going to go and strop now, see ya.

[EDIT] just finished stropping my four razors and realised that I really only need 50 laps on the leather with this, I think...