opinions about 3" Wide "Big Daddy" Leather Strop from Star Shaving

[gonzo4str8rzrs]

I am currently using a poormans strop from Whipped dog and want to step up. I am looking at this one. Thinking about the english bridle version. Here is the description and such:

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif]One of our customers has helped us with re-designing our 3" Wide "Big Daddy" #1 Chestnut English Bridle leather strop. He is a Technical School teacher and he showed us a better, more professional way to make the top of the leather strop. Now introducing a new Snap Swivel Bar at the top and still put together using Chicago screws. A more practical, more professional look and appearance with the same #1 Double Butt leather and 100% Wool Felt strop attached to the back. This #1 Chestnut English Bridle, 100% Leather Straight Razor Strop is made in the USA and our 3 star quality and has a 28" Overall Length with a 21" Leather Stropping Area and 3" wide. No one else has a 3" leather strop with that has this long stropping area of 21" plus we make this strop in the USA and it is made from leather from the USA. Easy to Use. Nicknamed by one of our customers as "The Big Daddy"!! It Has a D-ring handle, nickel plated for your fingers easy usage. The Leather is Vegetable tanned and has a medium great Draw When Stropping to keep the straight razor edge polished and sharp. The Chestnut English Bridle has an extra top dressing of Tallow. There is a 3" 100% Wool Felt strop attached to the back of the Leather strop. The Felt strop has a d-ring handle, nickel plated for your fingers easy usage. Use the Felt strop to clean metal particles from the straight razor edge and to re-align the edge to shave readiness. The top of the Leather Strop and the attached Felt Strop has a snap swivel bar along with a leather lace for your use to attach and hang. I use Chicago screws and not rivets for attachments so that later if you need to change out or fix it you can take it apart. Compare my 3" leather strop price of $37.88 to $59.99 - $129.00 or more from competition!! The Leather Strop is new, never used, tested and made by me, made in the U.S.A.; has a great draw and ready for razor stropping! For Best Results use water and soap on the leather, such as your shave brush with shave soap. Also use the palm of your hand to rub the leather strop occasionally to help keep the leather pliable. When the leather is not pliable use Neatsfoot oil and when the leather is dirty use Saddle soap. This strop is a quality double shoulder leather strop for use by all straight razor shavers. We have replacement leather or felt for the "Big Daddy" if you ever need to replace the leather or felt part of the strop for any reason such as cuts put into leather or felt strop from stropping with the straight razor. That is why we use Chicago screws in making the "Big Daddy" strop so that the strop can be worked on easily if ever needed.[/FONT]

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif]Please let me know who uses it and their true opinions about it. Thanks [/FONT]

 

[Slash McCoy]

I have two of them and I like them. I keep one for home and one for work. Best bang for the buck in strops. You can nick up the right hand edge and simply swap ends with the leather and the nicks are now over on the left edge where they aren't an issue.

You might find the leather stiff when you first get it, with a little warp or bend in it. That isn't so unusual. Just rub it good and rub it often, with the palm of your hand and also with a beer bottle, and it will work down nice and smooth. Don't apply any sort of dressing unless it needs it, and it won't need it for years. Just rub it. And use it.

I almost never use the felt, and I am thinking about replacing it with a second piece of leather. YMMV on that.

 

[gonzo4str8rzrs]

Great input slash

 

[BDF]

I have one also and found it worked quite well but was not quite flat. A few minutes with an orbital sander will fix that nicely and it actually works better as a strop too. No need to be delicate about it either- sand the entire surface off until a nice piece of beige leather is looking back at you and give it a try. Besides, even if you don't like it, I think a new piece of leather is only $21 or so from Star Shaving.

As to the felt, yeah I am not a fan either. It feels odd when using it, it swells badly if a drop of water even looks at it, and it sure seems to me that it degrades the razor edge. I tried pasting mine with 0.1 CBN and that helped in not de- sharpening the edge but it still feels odd to strop on the stuff and now it is splotchy gray too boot. Now not only does it not perform well, it looks like the strop a zombie would use....

Brian

I have two of them and I like them. I keep one for home and one for work. Best bang for the buck in strops. You can nick up the right hand edge and simply swap ends with the leather and the nicks are now over on the left edge where they aren't an issue.

You might find the leather stiff when you first get it, with a little warp or bend in it. That isn't so unusual. Just rub it good and rub it often, with the palm of your hand and also with a beer bottle, and it will work down nice and smooth. Don't apply any sort of dressing unless it needs it, and it won't need it for years. Just rub it. And use it.

I almost never use the felt, and I am thinking about replacing it with a second piece of leather. YMMV on that.

 

[Acmemfg]

For the money it is a decent bit of goods. I used one for a while to "rehone" my stopping skills after a hiatus. I can say nothing bad about them. But you're gonna want a Tony Miller eventually.

 

[gonzo4str8rzrs]

I keep hearing good things about Tony Miller Strops. I heard he is on B and B and offers some deals sometimes. I will have to keep an eye out for that. If anyone see it please kick me.

 

[Alum of Potash]

Personally, I prefer a 2-1/2"-wide strop. It's too bad these are getting harder and harder to find.

 

[BDF]

I find it the other way; everyone who offers a 3" wide strop also offers the same leather, and often with more choices, in 2 1/2" and often in 2" width. Some strops are only offered in 2 1/2" and narrower.

The real problem is finding 3" wide linen. 2 1/2" linen is not too difficult to find, and 2" linen is readily available but I only know of one source of 3" wide lines banding and that supplier runs out of it regularly.

And finally, there is a 2 1/2" strop lurking inside of every single 3" strop on the planet. The opposite isn't true though so those of us who like the wider leather have to pick and choose.

Brian

Personally, I prefer a 2-1/2"-wide strop. It's too bad these are getting harder and harder to find.

 

[Alum of Potash]

And finally, there is a 2 1/2" strop lurking inside of every single 3" strop on the planet. The opposite isn't true though so those of us who like the wider leather have to pick and choose.

Brian

Think I'll just wait until the wider-is-best mentality insists upon a fine-crafted 5"-wide strop and then cut this down to two 2-1/2" pieces instead. Meanwhile, it's too bad the Big Mamma is no longer made.

 

[blackhhawk]

Didn't like my big daddy strops. I bought a black latigo and an english chestnut bridle. Wasn't happy with the way the leather felt. Shipping was very slow. They never answered my emails.

I would highly recommend a Tony Miller strop, I think one with a real linen component is around 40 bucks shipped. Much better leather (IMO) and you get linen rather than felt which seems useless to me. He talked to me via email a lot about chosing my strop and shipped super quick. Great guy.

 

[SIG9]

I tried to purchase a bid daddy strop but after almost a month waiting and several unanswered emails requesting an update, I cancelled my order.

 

[BDF]

Now that right there is just good thinkin'.



Brian

Think I'll just wait until the wider-is-best mentality insists upon a fine-crafted 5"-wide strop and then cut this down to two 2-1/2" pieces instead. Meanwhile, it's too bad the Big Mamma is no longer made.