I am looking for a new strop and was wondering if anyone has compared the Kanayama to the mastro livi loom strop. I don't mean hanging vs loom but leather wise. The mastro livi on his videos looks super smooth.
Need advice for new strop
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Loom strops are a different breed compared to hanging strops, a loom to me is between a paddle and hanging strop, Kanayama strops are a different animal, not sure how they are processed but silky smooth and very consistent feedback and so far for me the leather on it feels different than any other strop I have, not necessarily better just different. I will always have a Kanayama hanging along with several TM strops and my Scruppleworks oil tanned beater that I use coming off the stones, as far as edges I honestly cannot feel the difference in edges using any strop for me as long as it's quaility leather it will maintain and edge.
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
I don't think the leather really matters that much to the razor's edge as long as it's a good piece of leather, no lines, wrinkles etc.
Whether you use a loom, paddle or hanging strop is just personal preference. The Livi is quite a pricey thing but the one comment I've seen on it was very favorable.
Cheers, Steve
Whether you use a loom, paddle or hanging strop is just personal preference. The Livi is quite a pricey thing but the one comment I've seen on it was very favorable.
Cheers, Steve
I know nothing of paddle or loom strops. Way I see it they are merely designed to eliminate the need for being held. I prefer the old school method. As far as leather....I have a butt ugly Herold 3" Russian oil tanned strop with a draw so hard it usually takes two men and a boy to drag a razor across it. I love it. On the other end I have a 3" Tony Miller "Notovan" which has a draw so light and smooth I can move my blade across the surface by mental telepathy.
Classic example of a Gibson Les Paul solid body with triple pickups vs an 1834 Martin. Both are surely worth owning. My Hart Steel and Jerry Stark blades almost exclusively workout on the Herold. My Ralf Austs, Bokers, and more hollow razors get the TM treatment. Might pick up a Scrupleworks one day....but spendy??? Oh yes!!!
Classic example of a Gibson Les Paul solid body with triple pickups vs an 1834 Martin. Both are surely worth owning. My Hart Steel and Jerry Stark blades almost exclusively workout on the Herold. My Ralf Austs, Bokers, and more hollow razors get the TM treatment. Might pick up a Scrupleworks one day....but spendy??? Oh yes!!!
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As everything around the straight razor there is no one correct answer 
I find this variety makes it interesting. I see many strops in my future and many questions why do we have all that "stuff" hanging in the bathroom.
Thank you for the input.
I find this variety makes it interesting. I see many strops in my future and many questions why do we have all that "stuff" hanging in the bathroom.
Thank you for the input.
I have a half-dozen strops, and enjoy them all, and can't really say that any particular one is best. As long as it's a quality piece of leather, what's best has to do with someone's preference in terms of the draw and feel of the strop. I'm on my second Kanayama, and it's about as smooth as you can get. I've always wanted to try the Livi loom strop, as everyone I've known who has had one has raved about it. You can't go wrong with either one. Unfortunately, you won't know which you prefer without trying them.
When in doubt get both!
I confess to being a Kanayama tragic. My everyday strop is the 3 piece #70000 and the draw is silky and my edges are terrific. Many say most leather strops all end up doing the same job. If you enjoy stropping as I do, do yourself a favour and grab a Kanayama. I recently converted my son to straight razor shaving, and after a few months I gave him a #50000 Kanayama (I added a suede piece) He is now a convert. I also have a few back up strops too. I have an #80000 and another #70000. I enjoy my stropping as much as all of the processes in straight razor shaving.
The firehose/hard-rolled horse hide made by Gamma is pretty amazing if I do say so myself. I've had it for 7-8 hours and have been sharpening razors and stropping for about 4 of those hours. Edges look great under the microscope
