Early birthday gift

[Suhrim21]

So my mother gave me my early bday gift. I will post pics then talk about it.

This strop is amazing. The leather is the softest leather I have ever touched. It is softer than the kanayama strop I used to own. Softer than the Fine Star strop i have. I cant emphasize and articulate how soft this leather is. I can say already this is going to be my favorite strop of any of the 18 or so I own.

 

[Straight up]

When you use a strop without a handle or metal loop, do you squeeze the strop between your fingers to pull it tight and not cause it to curve? I imagine that if I grabbed a fist full of strop the surface would deform and not provide a flat smooth surface. If this is the case is there much technique to using a handle free strop?

 

[Suhrim21]

I pinch it inbetween my fingers and pull tight. After a while it just becomes second nature and you can pinch it and keep it flat. It does feel weird in the beginning. Just keep at it and it gets to be natural.

 

[Straight up]

Well it's a beautiful strop and I hope it gives you many a keen shave. Happy birthday

 

[azwetshaver]

I was watching that one. Beautiful strop. Congratulations

 

[Suhrim21]

I absolutely love it. Of course I used it for my shave tonight. And it is amazing. I did notice there is a name inside on the leather. Garey something. That was cool seeing that.

 

[Suhrim21]

Well it's a beautiful strop and I hope it gives you many a keen shave. Happy birthday

I was thinking and I should explain a little better. So holding the barber end strops. Thumb on top and index finger running all the way across underneath. You pinch it with the thumb to hold it in place. Since your index finger is runing across the strop it keeps it flat and doesn't cup.

 

[Suhrim21]

Here are a couple pics to show you what I mean.

 

[Toro Blanco]

That's exacly how I grip it!

 

[ajduplessis]

That's a fine piece of leather. Strops need to be used daily and like boar brushes just get better with use/age. I prefer strops without any hardware even thou I have arthritis, might sing a different story later on in life...

 

[Suhrim21]

That's a fine piece of leather. Strops need to be used daily and like boar brushes just get better with use/age. I prefer strops without any hardware even thou I have arthritis, might sing a different story later on in life...

I have a rotation with my strops. All of them get used. Well I still have yet to use the NOS Fine Stars strop but that is because I need to get a list of razors I can use with it that wont scratch the leather. I will be super pissed if I scratch it. Probably to the point that I may break a razor if it acatches it, so I haven't used it yet. I will use it once I know a razor wont scratch it.