I found it!

Let me start by introducing myself as a beginner. After 3 weeks of raw face, grinding away at flea market /antique shop/ebay razors, and trying various strops, I figured out my problem-STROPPING. I'm active duty army, and over the past month have had 24 hour duty 3 times. During the wee hours, I'd hone away at my 4-5 razors hoping for a good shave. Some days were better than others., Sometimes, I'd have a razor sharp as hell on my arm and beautiful under the pocket magnifier, then I'd strop it, and then it wouldn't shave. I'd have 4 razors on the sink, and would sometimes have to end up just using the mach 3 just to make it to pt on time. I've sold perfectly fine razors out of spite just so I could buy another. I think my wife is tiring of my antics. After a disappointing shave of half of my face today, a light bulb went on, and I dug in my junk box and pulled out this old strap. After 10-15 strops or so, my favorite razor just ERASED the hair off the other side of my face! I 'm thinking about selling my other razors now that I know it's not the razor and I can get a good shave out of my favorite one. Here is a picture if I can get it to post.....Attachment 133455Attachment 133456and here
Attachment 133464would be MY finally victorious submission for SHAVE OF THE DAY!!!! Never mind the med supplies and tourniquet, just kidding. The aloe is half empty, though.

Welcome to SRP and the deep end ;)

P.S. Congratulations on the good shave.

Jonathan

[QUOTE=Datsots;1173045]Welcome to SRP and the deep end ;)


I'm noticing that deep end every time I go to ebay and type "wade and butcher" or "strop"
My name's Jonathan too by the way, spelled with an a at the end:beer1:. Nice to meet you.

Thanks for your service Jonathan, welcome to SRP and enjoy the deep end. :gl:

I guess that makes you the happy penguin, glad you've nailed it.

Excellent Jonathan.
Just way too many people over-complicate shaving. Simple is great! Well done.
Adam

Johnny, by Jove, what a creative idea for a strop. Well done. By the way, welcome to Straight Razor Place from an old 4th Infantry Division gentleman. We're delighted to have you with us.

That's a great idea, it looks like it's made of cotton, is it? What's it normally used for? My son has used his leather trousers belt for a strop for well over a year now. On another note, I remember many 24 hour guard duties when I was in the Australian army, and thinking about it now honing would be an EXCELLENT way to pass those long hours, there's only SO much spit polishing one can do!

Thanks for your service from down here; it does relate to our security and safety too, you know! :p

:beer1:
Desperation is the mother of invention!

I 'm pretty sure it's just plain old cotton. It's really soft and thin. I pull it snug but not exactly TIGHT. My other two razors have started behaving themselves now, too. I'm puzzled that this works, since all I've read about and seen online shopping is pastes and leather, etc. I don't understand how this is working, all I know is that I can shave now without a raw face. Since then, however, I've tried it out on my tan uniform belt, which is nylon and it worked too, but not quite as well. I haven't used a leather strop anymore, and I posted the one I had on ebay yesterday.
On another note, I taught one of my runners how to hone, and he took a flea market "butter knife" and made a shaver out of it during the wee hours. -another "REAL" shaver, it think..........

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

That's a great idea, it looks like it's made of cotton, is it? What's it normally used for? My son has used his leather trousers belt for a strop for well over a year now. On another note, I remember many 24 hour guard duties when I was in the Australian army, and thinking about it now honing would be an EXCELLENT way to pass those long hours, there's only SO much spit polishing one can do!

Thanks for your service from down here; it does relate to our security and safety too, you know! :p

---

Huh. I think I may try stropping on just the wool side of my Big Daddy strop from StarShaving.com and see how my razors perform. I was always under the impression leather was the best for stropping. Learn something new every day... Thanks man.

Looks like the sling from an old PA 312 field phone.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

Looks like the sling from an old PA 312 field phone.

---

TA 312, and that's exactly what it is. How'd you figure it? I didn't even remember until you mentioned it, but that's what it came from. We still use those in ADA land BTW, (not even kidding) with the SB 22.

This inspired me to use the strap from an army beltpack/satchel that is made from soft canvas about 2" wide as a strop prior to my roo strop, until now have only used the roo, was a really good shave, though I don't want to permenantly give up my bag strap. Down to the surplus store on my week off I guess.

Do you mean kangaroo hyde? How flexible is it? I've never thought of the idea of leather made from kangaroos. I love the idea of being able to get multiple uses of the same items.I've found another corner to cut. I've discovered that I get just as good a lather from a shaving stick and am thinking about making a hollow handled shaving brush that houses a tiny puck of 1/4 to 1/3 of a stick since they last so long anyway, and the bristles would come from here: http://thegoldennib.com. My reasoning is that for a "go" set, you'll never really be on the go for more than a couple days anyway, so why carry extra?Attachment 133676Attachment 133677 If it's the end of the world, you need water for making beer, not shaving....:beer1:

Yep, kangaroo, its really soft and thin, I look forward to giving it its daily rub down.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jonnywhim

...thinking about making a hollow handled shaving brush...

---

This container could be re-purposed like you are thinking about. At the simplest just glue a knot in the bottom, add an O ring to adjust the effective loft. Or you could go nuts and make a fancy new bottom/brush handle.

Jonathan

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Datsots

This container could be re-purposed like you are thinking about. At the simplest just glue a knot in the bottom, add an O ring to adjust the effective loft. Or you could go nuts and make a fancy new bottom/brush handle.

Jonathan

---

I would attach some hollow tube over the lid to house the knot, that way the wind up base would still work, if you wanted it short cut a action out of the middle of the soap holder and then glue the top and bottom together. Or carry a really small bottle/ tube with shaving cream. Or chuck the soap in a Ziploc bag and be done with it.:-)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jonnywhim

I 'm thinking about selling my other razors now that I know it's not the razor and I can get a good shave out of my favorite one.

---

Congratulations on your ingenious solution!!!

I've shaved right off of the hone at 1k, 4k, 8k and 12k I've also shaved after stropping with only cloth at those honing levels and then with leather also. (I love to play/experiment)!!

Each step UP resulted in a 'smoother' and more comfortable shave, not necessarily a 'sharper' shave! This is my humble opinion! With that said, I've tested razors that wouldn't 'shave' but after a very rigorous stropping they would shave but after honing they shaved much, much better.

Now! I advise to hang onto those razors! You never know when you need a backup!

As a Vet I thank you for your service! :bow:

Now I've got to thinking about paddle strops, if your gear were in a box app 2"X12" you could attach leather to the top and voila storage strop. If anyone makes and sells these remember it was my idea and I want one for free. Or even a 4 sided strop with a hollow in the middle and a screw in handle as a bung, again I expect a free one if ever marketed.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by jonnywhim

On another note, I taught one of my runners how to hone, and he took a flea market "butter knife" and made a shaver out of it during the wee hours. -another "REAL" shaver, it think..........

---

I always had fun teaching my runners new things on CQ or SD... Happy memories.... Thanks for the info in regards to the cotton belt. My shaves off of freshly honed razors have been decent but... I will have to find a nice soft cotton belt.

From a 1-25th ID vet thanks for your tip and service!

"Bore Brother Bore!"

I hope you never have to use the tourniquet that you have in your picture! I did 24 years in the military and didn't discover how great a straight razor was until my last 2 years. Shaving everyday was a chore until that point. You are gonna be stropping off your gas mask strap next thing you know it!