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If you could have the travel-strop of your dreams what would it look like and why?

A custom piece, likely integrated within a leather shave-bag, which I’m currently trying to plan out, so looking for ideas to pass on to the guy who will make it.

Strop-wise the options I’m looking at are:
  1. Hanging, rolled up
  2. Paddle with leather on a flat, solid piece of wood
  3. Paddle with leather stretched on wood carved out underneath.
Questions:
  1. If hanging, preferably thin leather, right? Kangaroo, for its rollability and alleged lack of memory, or anything, just thin enough? Will it be happy and live long?
  2. If paddle, which type and why? Should the leather flex at all or is fixed/hard preferrable? I see both options being offered online (hard block and stretched/suspended) – which one is better and why?
  3. Should I put paste on it?
  4. Do I need linen?
Uralt 2.jpg


Uralt 1.jpg


I found this gorgeous, ancient piece on eBay and thinking of having something like this made – with a wider strop, which would take up more space, so the razor would be hidden inside/underneath for transport. I prefer 75mm [3”] width so I can go straight instead of X-ing it and risking cutting up the strop – until I learn, at least.
This razor box is likely about 165 mm [6"½] since it’s an old one, which means that the strop is really tiny! Will it work? It must have worked for whomever owned it back then, but then again we’ve improved a few things since, so perhaps there are good arguments against a shorty like this.

Thoughts?
 

lasta

Blade Biter
Looks like a well optimized box! Although, I'm skeptical on how well such a small strop would work.

Ideally, I'd like a strop that doubles as my belt!
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
For a travel strop I use a calf-hide leather from Kyrgyzstan that is rather thin at about 0.8mm and about 60mm wide. The strop has a workable (stropping) length of a little over 300mm. One day I might put together a 'roo hide travel strop.

I have always preferred my strops at about 65mm width. Does not require a dedicated X stroke stropping pattern with most blades. The thin leather is easy to roll and has no adverse "memory".

As for including a cloth strop component, that is nice to use to clean the blade after a shave but is not a necessity. I include one with my travelling leather strop.

I would not recommend this strop to a beginner. Being so thin, it can easily be cut up. I cut up 2 or 3 before my stropping technique settled down. The good thing is that they are relatively cheap at about USD 20 including shipping.

IMG_20220709_103411.jpg

-9815481281738411994.jpg
 
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I have always preferred my strops at about 65mm width. Does not require a dedicated X stroke stropping pattern with most blades. The thin leather is easy to roll and has no adverse "memory".
Just measured my new Ralf Aust (yay!) and with the thumb notch it has exactly 62mm of cutting edge, so 65mm would be perfect!
As for including a cloth strop component, that is nice to use to clean the blade after a shave but is not a necessity. I include one with my travelling leather strop.
When you say clean, you mean over and above getting rid of lather etc after the shave, right?
I know some people on here try not to get the blade wet at all and only wipe it on a towel or sponge during the shave, others continuously rinse it off under the tap instead and then at the end dry it thoroughly before putting away, perhaps wiping with oil if going to park it for more than 24h.
I lean towards the second group. What would the cleaning mean then for me, if anything?

I have to say I like the idea of a linen (or other type of cloth) strop in addition to leather, but if there's no real benefit to it I might as well skip it and stick to leather only.
I would not recommend this strop to a beginner. Being so thin, it can easily be cut up. I cut up 2 or 3 before my stropping technique settled down. The good thing is that they are relatively cheap at about USD 20 including shipping.
I would imagine cutting up strop is more likely to happen with the X stroke, am I right? I guess with the near- slow motion speed I'm at currently at I'd have to deliberately go sideways to cut into it!
In any case, the safer width was my main reason for getting a 75mm, hanging (and cheapest I could find!) strop for home to learn on. It's suede on one side, smooth on the other, but so thick I'm afraid I might ruin it if I try to roll it. It came packaged flat in a massive envelope, so clearly not meant to be rolled up.

Hence a separate travel option I'm exploring!
 
I like the Vintage retractable roll-up types that came in fancy metal containers. I still haven't gotten around to buying one. As far as the strop you have in that kit. I don't see any reason it wouldn't work you just need to learn to use the X pattern as you should be doing anyways, even with a 3" wide strop. The X pattern is for a reason. Not just to get the entire blade on leather. Lots of info on it if you google it.

You have a nice kit. I'd be proud to use something like that one. cutting a strop is from going edge first or flipping the blade and changing direction before getting the blade down flat. Nothing to do with the X pattern.
 
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rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
Just measured my new Ralf Aust (yay!) and with the thumb notch it has exactly 62mm of cutting edge, so 65mm would be perfect!

When you say clean, you mean over and above getting rid of lather etc after the shave, right?
I know some people on here try not to get the blade wet at all and only wipe it on a towel or sponge during the shave, others continuously rinse it off under the tap instead and then at the end dry it thoroughly before putting away, perhaps wiping with oil if going to park it for more than 24h.
I lean towards the second group. What would the cleaning mean then for me, if anything?

I have to say I like the idea of a linen (or other type of cloth) strop in addition to leather, but if there's no real benefit to it I might as well skip it and stick to leather only.

I would imagine cutting up strop is more likely to happen with the X stroke, am I right? I guess with the near- slow motion speed I'm at currently at I'd have to deliberately go sideways to cut into it!
In any case, the safer width was my main reason for getting a 75mm, hanging (and cheapest I could find!) strop for home to learn on. It's suede on one side, smooth on the other, but so thick I'm afraid I might ruin it if I try to roll it. It came packaged flat in a massive envelope, so clearly not meant to be rolled up.

Hence a separate travel option I'm exploring!
There is always a bit of sideways movement of the blade across the strop when stropping. A 65mm wide strop is eminently suitable for a 70mm long (very common) edge. I never have to think about doing a dedicated X pattern when stropping, except when the strop width is getting much below 60mm wide.

As for a 75mm width strops, some do have a tendency to cup in the longitudinal direction, convex or concave. I just prefer strop widths of about 65mm. Others prefer different.

There is always going to be some soap residue on a blade's bevel after a shave, introspective of whether is os cleaned with water or a sponge whilst shaving. I prefer to clean this residue off with a cloth strop before (oiling if needed and) putting the SR away. If a cloth strop is not available, I will clean the bevel after a shave on a course towel on the edge of a bench. I would rather not get soap residue on my leather strop.

If stropping correctly (taut strop and light blade pressure), the only way the cut a strop while stropping is if the blade has any edge-leading movement on the stropping surface. This can happen when a person is not concentrating on the job at hand or are going too fast for their stropping skill level. Whether you are doing X pattern strokes or not does not really come into it.
 
Torolf's practice strop makes a really good travel strop.
That’s what I use.
I’m my bathroom I have a 3inch horween oil tanned dark chocolate coloured strop with flax linen backing and for travel I have a 2inch practice strop in green English bridle leather which just fits flat in my travel case. I bought both from Torolf of Scrupleworks a while back, both have been excellent.
 
That’s what I use.
I’m my bathroom I have a 3inch horween oil tanned dark chocolate coloured strop with flax linen backing and for travel I have a 2inch practice strop in green English bridle leather which just fits flat in my travel case. I bought both from Torolf of Scrupleworks a while back, both have been excellent.
I bought the same about 6 months ago. 3" was quite loud at first but with use and hand rubbing it's lost some of the audio and gained on feel (draw I think). Getting a nice sheen to it now.
 
A custom piece, likely integrated within a leather shave-bag, which I’m currently trying to plan out, so looking for ideas to pass on to the guy who will make it.

Strop-wise the options I’m looking at are:
  1. Hanging, rolled up
  2. Paddle with leather on a flat, solid piece of wood
  3. Paddle with leather stretched on wood carved out underneath.
Questions:
  1. If hanging, preferably thin leather, right? Kangaroo, for its rollability and alleged lack of memory, or anything, just thin enough? Will it be happy and live long?
  2. If paddle, which type and why? Should the leather flex at all or is fixed/hard preferrable? I see both options being offered online (hard block and stretched/suspended) – which one is better and why?
  3. Should I put paste on it?
  4. Do I need linen?
View attachment 1575829

View attachment 1575830

I found this gorgeous, ancient piece on eBay and thinking of having something like this made – with a wider strop, which would take up more space, so the razor would be hidden inside/underneath for transport. I prefer 75mm [3”] width so I can go straight instead of X-ing it and risking cutting up the strop – until I learn, at least.
This razor box is likely about 165 mm [6"½] since it’s an old one, which means that the strop is really tiny! Will it work? It must have worked for whomever owned it back then, but then again we’ve improved a few things since, so perhaps there are good arguments against a shorty like this.

Thoughts?
Wow, that's awesome. I have used a couple of small hollow-tensioned strops like that in France, and they will do the trick. Go for an exact replica! Remove the brush and soaps(?) and you have room for a couple of custom-cut finishing hones. Oh yeah!

P.S. I don't know your location, but Ertan at Rasoir-Sabre in France has made and sold hollowed-out paddle strops like that in the past, albeit a bit larger. You might contact him to see if he could make something custom for you.
 
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I like the Vintage retractable roll-up types that came in fancy metal containers. I still haven't gotten around to buying one. As far as the strop you have in that kit. I don't see any reason it wouldn't work you just need to learn to use the X pattern as you should be doing anyways, even with a 3" wide strop. The X pattern is for a reason. Not just to get the entire blade on leather. Lots of info on it if you google it.

You have a nice kit. I'd be proud to use something like that one. cutting a strop is from going edge first or flipping the blade and changing direction before getting the blade down flat. Nothing to do with the X pattern.
I found one on eBay or Etsy with a ruined leather component. I almost bought it to see if Tony Miller could replace the leather.

I’m content with my TM travel strop, but I wouldn’t say no to a roo component either.

My TM:

F5E93DCF-5D5C-47CF-BE6F-7EF46A33F085.jpeg
 
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