Thread: Travelling with a straight razor - or should I say with a strop

Perhaps I'm a newbie, but it doesn't take all that much to realize that travelling with a straight razor is complicated. Currently, I am focused on the strop aspect of that problem. I have read on here the 'how do you fold the strop' posts and the 'all else fails, you could always use jeans' responses, but I wanted to get direct intput from more experienced members on what do you do for stropping while travelling.

The follow-up question is about paddle strops, particularly the smaller ones marketed as travel strops. The one that TI makes seems annoyingly narrow and the wider ones doesn't come with a case/sleeve that IMHO is a must to travel. How many of you use these paddel strops for travel and that are you thoughts on them?

Cheers!

I have a belt that happens to function really well on the back side as a strop. I just belt it on a towel bar and use the tongue as a handle. It's a little narrow but it works fine.

Just a thought here as I don't travel to much . Doesn't a regular strop lay in a suit case like a belt along the side, around the edge what ever. It's a strap and doesn't take up that much room. Well unless it's the "you want everything to fit in your pockets" kind of travel.

For the odd time that I travel I have a smaller Dovo strop that makes the perfect travel strop, lays flat in a suitcase or bag.
I wouldn't be too concerned about the larger paddle not having a case or sleeve if thats the way you want to go. If you're that worried just wrap a cloth or towel around it and pack it.

Skip to 1:40 if you like. This is what I do, and it has worked great for several flights, and a handful of trips.



I use one strop 99% of the time and in doing so (as a relatively new straight shaver) it keeps the variables fewer and the results better. When I am traveling, there are ALWAYS other stresses not present in my regular life (not my bed, not my bathroom, not my typical schedule)...the last thing I want to do is complicate my shave with a strop that I am not VERY familiar with.

YMMV

I have one of Steve's travel strops from here: Invisible Edge Products