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Section 8 - 1, Selecting a strop - what you need.

1.) Selecting a strop – what you need.

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What you NEED, versus what you WANT are 2 totally different subjects, and the truth of the matter is, you can get pretty “ok” results stropping on a yellow legal pad. What works best however, is leather – so you really need a decent leather strop. Now, provided you don’t nick/cut up your strop on accident, and take proper care of it – a decent quality strop will last you a lifetime and is well worth the investment, to a point.

Getting back to what you NEED. The nice thing about this subject is there IS a very clear answer – a $30 Heirloom Starter/Travel strop from Tony Miller at the well shaved gentleman. Tony’s strops are legendary for being THE best out there, and are hands down the highest quality strops I have seen, felt or used. Alright – so why the $30 model? Firstly, there is NO difference in quality or performance between his “lowest end” beginners strop, to his “highest end” Artisan strops with all the bells and whistles. The difference in his strops pricing has NOTHING to do with quality – everything from Tony is equally magnificent, it has everything to do with cost (of the hardware) and the additional time/labor involved in making the fancy handles, affixing swivels, having a linen side, etc. I tried using my top of the line Tony Miller in red latigo for 2 weeks, using both the linen and leather sides, then did the exact same exercise – using the exact same razor for two weeks, using one of Tony’s $30 beginner strops in red latigo (not using a linen/canvas side at all – as the beginner strops do not have one) and I noticed NO deficit, no inferior performance or any actual difference in efficacy. I like using the linen, more out of habit more than anything else – but it isn’t necessary. Now, let’s also face it, no one’s perfect, we all make mistakes, and even the most experienced straight razor shavers from time to time will take a small nick out of their strop, so purchasing a more expensive strop by and large isn’t really the best idea.

As of today (10/24/07) there is no better strop available at ANY price than a Tony Miller beginners strop in Red Latigo – end of story. Forget about Dovo strops or any other brand, I’ve tried them all, and if you spend less than $30, you’ll end up with a ***, and if you spend more than $30 on another brand, you’ll have an inferior strop, and more than $30 on a Tony Miller, you’ll have one that works no better.

A couple of my top of the line Tony Miller Strops….
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With the above said – I do own and use the (multiple) top of the line strops from Tony daily… but this is NOT because of efficacy, it is purely because of esthetics. Tony’s high end strops are absolutely gorgeous, and a thing of tremendous beauty and craftsmanship… more of a showpiece. If you want the prettiest strop in the land, and it’s worth the extra $ (3-4X more expensive) and you are willing to take the risk of potentially nicking up/ruining your expensive strop – by all means indulge, you won’t be disappointed. If on the other hand you can control yourself, again – from a performance, or quality aspect there is absolutely no reason to buy anything other than his least expensive beginner/travel offering, as it is the IDENTICAL leather as used in the more expensive models – and at least in my opinion is superior to the $100+ horsehide strops (performance wise). At $30, you can’t beat it – and you can put the money saved on the strop towards things such as hones, and better razors, which WILL effect the quality of your shave.

Genuine Linen Backing…
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Canvas….
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Genuine Horsehide…
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Black Latigo…
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Red Latigo….
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PROCEED TO THE NEXT SECTION OF THE GUIDE - Section 8 - 2, How to use your hanging strop.

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I agree completely with Joel's recommendation for buying one of Tony's strops.

I've had his starter strop (which I passed on to a newbie) and currently own a 3" red latigo with canvas and a natural 2.5' strop with canvas (lighter draw). The red latigo is my favourite and works well with all my razors.

Simply put, you cant buy a better strop than one of Tony's - at any price. While Tony offers countless variations, the one thing you can be sure of is that you'll be getting an amazing strop - regardless of what you pick.
 
The ruprazor filly comes highly recommended for a newbie. There is also a recent thread about some strop you can buy on eBay for $25 that is also very good for a newbie. I just picked up a filly to use for my first strop so othat I can nick it all up, then I'll look for something a little better.
 
The ruprazor filly comes highly recommended for a newbie. There is also a recent thread about some strop you can buy on eBay for $25 that is also very good for a newbie. I just picked up a filly to use for my first strop so othat I can nick it all up, then I'll look for something a little better.

starshavingsupplies on eBay has a leather/wool felt 2.5x28 strop for $25 shipped. If you are looking for something more along the lines of a filly, he has a 2.5x27 leather one for $12.95.
 
I got all excited seeing this thinking I'd get that beginner strop. Then as I read on realized I can't get one.:sad:
 
Yeah that's disappointing. I'm looking to possibly get into straight shaving.

Is there a comparable option out there?
 
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