Cheap Strop

[Adis653]

Just picked up my first straight; a vintage Geneva 6/8! Pumped! I live pretty close to Geneva so particularly sweet.

Got it on the cheap, honed and ready to go. Not sure if I’ll like it, but need a strop. I want something cheap but effective. I might only use the straight a few times and scrap it like I did with the shavette.

Any recommendations on cheap yet effective strops?

 

[timwcic]

Get a Tony Miller plain chocolate or plain vanilla strop. They are a good strop at a good price

https://heirloomrazorstrop.com/shop?olsPage=products%2F2-1-slash-2-horween-notovan-horsehide-plain-chocolate-strop

 

[macintoshBR]

Get a Tony Miller plain chocolate or plain vanilla strop. They are a good strop at a good price

https://heirloomrazorstrop.com/shop?olsPage=products%2F2-1-slash-2-horween-notovan-horsehide-plain-chocolate-strop

+1

 

[Adis653]

Thanks guys, but $50!?! Hahaha I might use the straight like 5 times and hate it. Is there anything cheaper that would get the job done?

 

[timwcic]

Palm strop. Zero cost, don’t get cheaper than that. It works

 

[rbscebu]

If you can wait for the delivery, there are some half decent strops available on AliExpress for about USD 10.

​

I use one like this as my travelling strop. It's about 60mm wide and I have the denim part lightly pasted.

There are cheaper ones available on AliExpress that I have tried but they are narrower, without a cloth strop, and/or inferior metal fittings. None were to my liking.

 

[macintoshBR]

Thanks guys, but $50!?! Hahaha I might use the straight like 5 times and hate it. Is there anything cheaper that would get the job done?

if you don’t like sell it for $40 on BST it should move quickly and you lose $10

You may also look for Illinois brand. US made, decent quality, fairly cheap and available in many places

 

[SliceOfLife]

The 2.5" is on sale for $40 atm. I actually much prefer a 2.5" strop.

https://heirloomrazorstrop.com/shop?olsPage=products%2F3-plain-vanilla-steerhide-strop-b7d218ba-8b5a-4aaa-80dc-957381f33e08

Truth is you can't get much cheaper than that and still get usable leather and a cloth secondary.

I vaguely remember there being an eBay seller (Star something) with $30 or $35 strops, but their secondary was felt (junk) and I seem to remember they stopped doing business a few years ago. I think there are a few ~$20 beginner strops out there, but they lack a secondary component, typically don't have real mounting hardware, and won't be finished anywhere near the quality of a Tony Miller. @ $40 that's a pretty good starter strop, and assuming you don't knick it all up (not everyone does), it is just fine to serve you for a lifetime as well.

Illinois would be my second choice too... but honestly... are they even any cheaper? I remember them starting at like $37 if memory serves.


Also, unless you bought the Geneva from an experienced straight shaver, you're going to need to get it honed by one. It's virtually zero chance that a vintage straight will be ready to shave without being honed, and most non-shavers don't hone razors to the level they require.

 

[Adis653]

The 2.5" is on sale for $40 atm. I actually much prefer a 2.5" strop.

https://heirloomrazorstrop.com/shop?olsPage=products%2F3-plain-vanilla-steerhide-strop-b7d218ba-8b5a-4aaa-80dc-957381f33e08

Truth is you can't get much cheaper than that and still get usable leather and a cloth secondary.

I vaguely remember there being an eBay seller (Star something) with $30 or $35 strops, but their secondary was felt (junk) and I seem to remember they stopped doing business a few years ago. I think there are a few ~$20 beginner strops out there, but they lack a secondary component, typically don't have real mounting hardware, and won't be finished anywhere near the quality of a Tony Miller. @ $40 that's a pretty good starter strop, and assuming you don't knick it all up (not everyone does), it is just fine to serve you for a lifetime as well.

Illinois would be my second choice too... but honestly... are they even any cheaper? I remember them starting at like $37 if memory serves.


Also, unless you bought the Geneva from an experienced straight shaver, you're going to need to get it honed by one. It's virtually zero chance that a vintage straight will be ready to shave without being honed, and most non-shavers don't hone razors to the level they require.

I purchased it from a seller that referbs and hones their items and sells shave ready. It was a reputable seller with a lot of activity and they were only selling straights. Apparently I t was honed with a coti. We’ll see. Thank you guys for the direction.

 

[Lightcs1776]

I recently purchased a strop from Slash McCoy, one of the members here. It is 3" wide and 18" long, with good hardware. It is currently $40. It was a nice upgrade from the "poor man's strop" I had been using for the past couple of years.

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk

 

[SliceOfLife]

I purchased it from a seller that referbs and hones their items and sells shave ready. It was a reputable seller with a lot of activity and they were only selling straights. Apparently I t was honed with a coti. We’ll see. Thank you guys for the direction.

That does sound like it should be good to shave with. Best of luck to you.

 

[stone and strop]

Ya, Tony's strop are very good value and very good quality.
I've always appreciated someone that has integrity and sell his products for a reasonable price without gouging.
Its a great business model and one that has served him/others well.

 

[Dave Sl8r]

Shipping from the US to Switzerland might be expensive. Idk.
May be better for the OP to find something locally.
Should be able to find a used Dovo strop within a couple of hundred kilometer.

 

[Alum of Potash]

Shipping from the US to Switzerland might be expensive. Idk.
May be better for the OP to find something locally.
Should be able to find a used Dovo strop within a couple of hundred kilometer.

I think he is referring to Geneva, New York, where the razor was made.

 

[Adis653]

I think he is referring to Geneva, New York, where the razor was made.

Yes, I was referring to Geneva NY.

 

[TheLegalRazor]

For $30, you can get a Tony Miller "Plain" strop with just the leather, without the cotton component. Opinions differ on this, but I don't feel the cotton component is necessary.

 

[Adis653]

Someone recommended this

Professional Barber Leather Strop Straight Razor Sharpening Shave Shaving Strap - https://www.thexbay.com/products/professional-barber-leather-strop-straight-razor-sharpening-shave-shaving-strap

Anyone with any experience?

 

[Alum of Potash]

Bear in mind that until you get your licks down, you will risk to roll the edge, effectively impacting the razor's shaving ability. A truly shave-ready razor should be used as received, without initial stropping on your part. After shaving, or prior to the next shave, the stropping begins to restore the edge as mildly deformed from shaving.

That strop you linked looks like a number of similar strops, or strop-shaped-objects, that are on the market from Pakistan. In the short run, and for the price, it will probably serve to help you practice the stropping gesture. For a little more, you might try this one, which could be used as pasted strop (e.g., Solingen red paste) once you've graduated to something nicer. But in any case, it's best to start with a cheap strop as you risk to cut it in starting out.

 

[Adis653]

Bear in mind that until you get your licks down, you will risk to roll the edge, effectively impacting the razor's shaving ability. A truly shave-ready razor should be used as received, without initial stropping on your part. After shaving, or prior to the next shave, the stropping begins to restore the edge as mildly deformed from shaving.

That strop you linked looks like a number of similar strops, or strop-shaped-objects, that are on the market from Pakistan. In the short run, and for the price, it will probably serve to help you practice the stropping gesture. For a little more, you might try this one, which could be used as pasted strop (e.g., Solingen red paste) once you've graduated to something nicer. But in any case, it's best to start with a cheap strop as you risk to cut it in starting out.

Thanks mate.

 

[SliceOfLife]

No experience with that one. I vaguely remember one guy here who was saying those (The cheap Pakistan strops that you can buy in bulk for $1-3) work fine a year or two ago... I'm pretty sure he also has some listed on eBay when he was saying that, so I didn't put too much weight in it.

My experience with similar items was owning a "zeepk" strop when starting out.

https://www.bonanza.com/listings/Ze...xh7_SoUUgq--lBAvaMXkTv3EbqfgCNrxoCWSEQAvD_BwE

I got more comfortable shaves without stropping that with stropping (and unstropped shaves are torture). I got a real strop (I think it was the cheapest Illinois model) shortly after that and realized no, my hones weren't so insanely fine that stropping was useless... the strop I had been using was useless.