probably a stupid idea but...

[meebl]

I'm new to the wet shaving world, but I got totally hooked, and now I want to get a straight razor, which leads me to my problem. I'm a vegetarian, and so far the only synthetic strop I've been able to find is from Tony Miller, who according to his website is not making any new strops until June, and then only as a hobby. From what I've gathered, his strops are some of the best, so I imagine he'll be flooded with orders once he starts making them again, and I'm not sure what my chances are of getting one in the forseeable future.

So, long story short, he's what I was wondering:
I've got an old leather belt from before I became a vegetarian (it would have just been wasteful to throw it out). Would I be able to use that as a strop, or is that just wishful thinking?

I thought about buying a used strop, but I'm a little bit germophobic (a hippy and an OCD case, so sad), and I'd never be able feel right using it.

If any one has any ideas or suggestions, I'd be thrilled to hear them.

Thanks,
Dylan

 

[DunEdinRanger]

Just playing Devil's Advocate here...

1) What if the animal died a natural death? Would it be wasteful to not take advantage of the leather?

2) The animal was not killed for the leather, but more than likely for the meat. Again, wouldn't it be wasteful to throw out the carcass when a perfectly good strop, or belt can be made from it?

 

[Freedom]

I don't know from experience but you might be able to shave off a linen, cotton or canvas strop. Or at least use that an then newspaper to finish it off.

The next two suggestions are grey areas for vegetarians of principal rather than diet.

Like you said a second hand strop, depending on the age and leather you can rub it off with a pomise stone.

The best alternative is to talk to local tanneries or look on the internet to see if you can find ethical sourced leather and make a DIY strop but I would assume this leather would carry more of a premium.

 

[meebl]

RE: DunEdenRanger

It's difficult to approach a philosophical issue like this in such an abbreviated format, but the simple answer to your question is: I would not have a problem of the use of leather in circumstance #1 (any more than human flesh for that matter), but I would for #2. I don't object to people eating meat or using animal products, it's perfectly natural. My reasoning in becoming vegetarian was fairly simple. I realized that I didn't have it in me to personally kill something when I didn't need to in order to survive. That being the case, I didn't feel I had the right to eat it or use pieces of it purely for my convenience.

 

[michiganlover]

Just playing Devil's Advocate here...

1) What if the animal died a natural death? Would it be wasteful to not take advantage of the leather?

2) The animal was not killed for the leather, but more than likely for the meat. Again, wouldn't it be wasteful to throw out the carcass when a perfectly good strop, or belt can be made from it?

+1 on both points.

Leather is a byproduct of the meat industry.

I understand being a vegan, but if following that way of life is so restrictive that it makes your life less rewarding, I have to wonder what the point of it all is.

 

[Ender Wiggins]

I hope this isn't against the rules. I too was wondering about how one would go about sanitizing a used strop and couldn't find anything in our wiki or in any threads after doing a search. I found one post on SRP about it:


Quote:
Originally Posted by Akady View Post
What would you use to clean and sanitize the leather and linen? like tea tree oil?

I'm no expert at this, but I'd suggest cleaning the leather with saddle soap (?) followed by an anti-bacterial/ viral spray (something like Lysol, unscented of course) is the best I can think of. Also, to be sure, sufficient moist heat would kill everything on the strop, but would probabbly damage the leather, so I can't recommend heat. The usual treatment with strop dressing would follow.

As for the linen, it's generally best NOT to soak a genuine linen strop as this will cause it to swell and possibly deform. A light cleaning with lather applied to the surface and then scraped off is recommended. Wrapping the linen strop in a layer of damp towel then ironing the strop through the towel until the towel is nearly dry will probably produce enough moist heat to kill most pathogens. An application of the Lysol (or similar product) would then be a good idea.


Scott (honedright)

Does anyone here have any experience doing what he's suggesting or with using any other methods?

 

[Antique Hoosier]

I'm not a vegetarian or vegan myself but I like to think of the native American Indians outlook on animals. They revered the deer, buffalo, eagle, etc and they managed to feed and clothe themselves and their family with the meat and hides. They had a healthy balance. There is nothing wrong in my opinion with you using a leather strop if you can justify in your mind owning a leather belt from before you became a vegetarian. You'd be surprised how many animal byproducts you personally come into contact with perhaps unknowingly.

 

[meebl]

I really didn't start this thread to get into an argument over whether or not it's wrong to use a leather strop. The fact is I'm not going to use one, and no one's going to come up with a clever argument to change my mind, nor am I going to try to push my beliefs to anyone else.

So please, while I appreciate healthy debate and decifering ethical dilemas, the only thing I'm looking for here is a way to strop my razor not using animal products. If the moral reasons offend you, just think of it as a logic puzzle.

Thank you [Freedom] and [Ender Wiggins] for your constructive replies. I do appreciate them. The newspaper idea was particularly interesting. Would that work? I guess I'm not sure what quality of leather is it that makes it an effective strop. Is it the smoothnessof the surface? The softness?

 

[AverageJoe]

Part of the reason God created animals is for our use: wheather for food, their fur, their hides, transportation, etc. Animals are not people. If you don't buy the strop, someone else will. Good luck finding a decent brush with no animal hair in it, too!

 

[michiganlover]

I don't know from experience but you might be able to shave off a linen, cotton or canvas strop. Or at least use that an then newspaper to finish it off.

I am curious to know the answer to this question as well. Could you shave off of just linen/cotton/canvas?

As I understand it the purpose the linen component of strops is to warm the blade, so that it is more malleable when stropped on leather.

Stropping on linen doesn't appear to dull the blade, but does it have any benefit beyond just warming the metal?

I have heard it said often that you can strop on newspaper, but how effective is it? Is it a workable long term solution?

 

[meebl]

Re Average Joe:

Actually, there are several companies I know of making synthetic brushes. If you check the forum on brushes you'll find a great comparison of the top five, but thank you very much for your stunning constructive insights.

 

[michiganlover]

Here's an ethical question the O.P. might not have considered: if you send your razor away to be honed, and the honemiester uses a leather strop on it in his process of prepping it to final shave ready status, would that bother you?

(most people who hone for hire, actually shave with your blade to verify the blade is up to par; prior to shaving they would most certainly strop the blade on leather.)

 

[Antique Hoosier]

I've got an old leather belt from before I became a vegetarian (it would have just been wasteful to throw it out).

This statement is what I question Sir.... You can try to have it both ways but Im going to say,.... What difference ethically or morally in the veggie world does the difference of keeping the old leather belt or using a newly purchased leather strop? You've rationalized your argument and I was just weighing in on the hypocracy of your statement. I call a spade a spade, sorry but that's just honest.

 

[meebl]

Oh god, of course!! What a fool I've been!! I have seen the light and will run out and skin a cow right this minute!!

Seriously? Are your lives really that boring that you need to sit here and snipe at my life choices?

I'm not asking any of you to agree with me. I'm just asking if there's a different material that can be used for a strop, or if the belt I currently possess will function.

 

[Fnord5]

I am curious to know the answer to this question as well. Could you shave off of just linen/cotton/canvas?

As I understand it the purpose the linen component of strops is to warm the blade, so that it is more malleable when stropped on leather.

Stropping on linen doesn't appear to dull the blade, but does it have any benefit beyond just warming the metal?

I have heard it said often that you can strop on newspaper, but how effective is it? Is it a workable long term solution?

You can't work up enough heat to make the metal softer, or the linen/canvas strop would start smoking/smoldering. Linen and canvas are ever so slightly abrasive, and work to polish a little more than the stones. (I go from stone directly to leather)

You can shave directly from a 4k grit stone (if you can hone well enough) so right off linen would be no problem.

To make your own synthetic strop, you can use a length of seatbelt webbing.


I'll not weigh in on the pro/con of animal use/eating/leather, other than to say that Horse Hide strops are absolutely AMAZING.

 

[meebl]

Seabelt webbing... that's interesting. Would that really work? Wouldn't it be more abrasive than linen?

 

[michiganlover]

You can't work up enough heat to make the metal softer, or the linen/canvas strop would start smoking/smoldering. Linen and canvas are ever so slightly abrasive, and work to polish a little more than the stones. (I go from stone directly to leather)

You can shave directly from a 4k grit stone (if you can hone well enough) so right off linen would be no problem.

To make your own synthetic strop, you can use a length of seatbelt webbing.

Ah you are right, I just read through the thread where I gleaned the "warming the blade" idea, and there was only one person who mentioned that. Most said the linen was mildly abrasive, and helped to remove the oxidation on the blade prior to stropping on leather.

That thread had a whole bunch of valuable information about how effective it is to strop on Linen (linen is a broad term, and can include cotton, canvas, webbing, and perhaps even felt) alone, and would be of quite a bit of value to the original poster:

What does stropping on linen accomplish that just leather doesn't?

 

[sanfranciscian]

sorry meebl, i guess your starting to learn how fast these things can get off point and disintegrate, good luck, try the newspaper til tony gets back.

 

[Fnord5]

Seabelt webbing... that's interesting. Would that really work? Wouldn't it be more abrasive than linen?

Actually, I have no idea.
I just know that some here have used it in place of a linen strop to good effect.
You can also use your inner forearm or the heel of your hand to strop, ala maestro Livi.

 

[michiganlover]

Actually, I have no idea.
I just know that some here have used it in place of a linen strop to good effect.

You can also use the heel of your hand to strop, ala maestro Livi.

I have heard the idea of a seat belt being used as a linen strop idea before, but I also don't know how effective it is.

I have heard of palm stropping Double Edge, and Single Edge blades, but for a 3 inch long super sharp straight razor??? (shivers in fear) I think I will pass thank you.

The issue as I see it, is that the entirety of the blade does not fit on your palm all at once. The parts not touching your palm would seem inclined to cut you.