What's new

The X Bay Strop

So I bought an inexpensive strop on Amazon based on @Slash McCoy recommendation and it came in today. Pretty good looking strop overall. It was folded for shipping so there are some waves in it, no actual creases though. Figure they will get worked out over time as it hangs, and it does go flat when pulled taut. There is a divot partway up the suede side but I figure I can just strop on either side of it and use more laps since I cant use the full length. Unless someone has advice on how to repair that. Not a prime item, but still less than 10 bucks after shipping, at least on the US Amazon site.

20190811_082917.jpg


20190811_082924.jpg

20190811_082936.jpg
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
I'm glad to see a thread on this strop. It's not an item I have, or need in a bad way, and it's not an item I would have ever considered but for Slash's recommendation of it. I'll look forward to your opinion and the opinions of others, as you use it.

The X Strop (Slash likes it)..jpg

I have the strop on my eBay watch list. There are a million competing strops on eBay, but this is the only one I've heard anything good about (not saying the others are known to be bad).

I could use a strop in my honing room (my wife calls it the dining room). It would be this one if I pull the trigger.

Happy shaves,

Jim
 
I'm glad to see a thread on this strop. It's not an item I have, or need in a bad way, and it's not an item I would have ever considered but for Slash's recommendation of it. I'll look forward to your opinion and the opinions of others, as you use it.

View attachment 1006879

I have the strop on my eBay watch list. There are a million competing strops on eBay, but this is the only one I've heard anything good about (not saying the others are known to be bad).

I could use a strop in my honing room (my wife calls it the dining room). It would be this one if I pull the trigger.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Other than the divot in the suede side it appears to me well made. Time will tell. Provided the waves from packing work themselves out it should be a good strop. And for less than 10 bucks it's far cheaper, as well as classier looking than the standard beginner strops sold for around 20 bucks on most wet shaving sites.
 

Chan Eil Whiskers

Fumbling about.
I suppose one could but I would not use paste on a suede that rough.
You would be better off using another piece of leather for that.

12-28-18.Red&Black.Paste.Dovo.Stangen-Pasta.640.JPG

And, for some pastes the smooth side of this strop would be excellent I think.

I have both my Red and my Black pastes (from the package pictured) on small leather strops. Both the strops I use are much smaller than this one, but both also cost more than this one. Had I known about this strop I would have used it for my pastes instead of the strops I used (which were still very inexpensive as strops go, but they're just about giving this one away).

Happy shaves,

Jim
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
Isnt the suede side sometimes used with paste?

I wouldn't. It is too easy to contaminate the hair side with paste, and you do not want that. In fact there really isn't much point in using the flesh side at all, just the hair (smooth) side.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
I'm glad to see a thread on this strop. It's not an item I have, or need in a bad way, and it's not an item I would have ever considered but for Slash's recommendation of it. I'll look forward to your opinion and the opinions of others, as you use it.

View attachment 1006879

I have the strop on my eBay watch list. There are a million competing strops on eBay, but this is the only one I've heard anything good about (not saying the others are known to be bad).

I could use a strop in my honing room (my wife calls it the dining room). It would be this one if I pull the trigger.

Happy shaves,

Jim

It really surprised me, first time I tried one. I was looking for a cheapie strop to give away with my flea market Gold Dollars and new converts. And maybe PIFs or passarounds. Every other strop I tried in that price range was garbage leather or pleather, or else was hung from a single grommet or a very flimsy D ring that was little more than a bent wire. The X Bay strop is definitely not anybody's forever strop, but not bad for a newbie to slice and dice on. It actually does the job. I think I have one hanging in the shaving room now, actually. GF calls it "the bathroom" but its primary purpose obviously is a place for shaving. Mirror? Check. Hot water faucet and sink? Check. Light? Check. Place to hang strop and towel? Check. But it is her house. If she wants to call it a bathroom, I will humor her.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
View attachment 1006886

And, for some pastes the smooth side of this strop would be excellent I think.

I have both my Red and my Black pastes (from the package pictured) on small leather strops. Both the strops I use are much smaller than this one, but both also cost more than this one. Had I known about this strop I would have used it for my pastes instead of the strops I used (which were still very inexpensive as strops go, but they're just about giving this one away).

Happy shaves,

Jim

I am not a fan of pasting a hanging strop at all. But if you are gonna, yeah use one or more of these, not your good strop.
 
Top Bottom