Strop Destruction... really?

[jtrops]

When I read a lot of posts about strops I feel a bit abnormal, and even awkward. There is a prevailing belief that a first strop will be replaced by the time you send your blade out for re-honing. I never "slashed," "nicked," or otherwise mutilated my first strop. I'm still using it after six years, and the only nicks in it were the ones I inherited from the barber who owned it before me. Sure, I'd like to get a new strop at some point, but it won't be because I (paraphrased) absolutely destroyed my first strop.

I'm curious about how many people on the forum have been shaving with a straight for a while without hacking their strop to bits.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Depends a lot on the strop. I still nick my bismark from time to time, mainly because it's kind of textured (somewhat like a basketball or football). I nick the hell out of my Bulgarian Vintage because it's like a suede texture that almost pulls the razor down into it. But my higher quality shell strops I would have to try to nick (knock on wood), because they are the opposite of the suede, they seem to want to hold the razor against them, keeping the edge from ever digging in. I've never put a deep slice that kills a strop like I've seen in old barber strops. Usually it's just little gouges like those loose flaps of skin you get around your cuticles.

 

[Chimensch]

I'm still using the same Illinois Scotch Shell strop I started with 30 years ago. No nicks.

 

[RetroGrouch]

I'm still using the same Illinois Scotch Shell strop I started with 30 years ago. No nicks.

You mean "Scotch Tan", "Genuine Horsehide"?

Mine is numbered 968. Yours??

Mike

 

[mparker762]

I never "slashed," "nicked," or otherwise mutilated my first strop.

Congratulations. I put a half-inch nick in my first strop but with a bit of sanding it was still perfectly usable. I gave it to a friend of mine four years ago after I upgraded to a handamerican strop, and he's still using it.

There is a prevailing belief that a first strop will be replaced by the time you send your blade out for re-honing.

That seems to me to be overstating it quite a bit. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that new guys are more likely to nick his strop than veterans, but I've never heard anything like your statement before. New guys are often recommended to purchase an inexpensive yet serviceable razor as their first razor, in case they chip it, and an inexpensive yet serviceable strop as their first strop, in case they slice it, because newbies are prone to doing both of these things - not certain to do it, but more likely than it will be with a few months or a year of experience under his belt. Nobody wants to see a newbie chip a $700 Livi razor or nick a $400 Kanoyama strop, not the hypothetical newbie, and not the rest of us on the forum who get to listen to the wailing and gnashing of teeth.

 

[Chimensch]

You mean "Scotch Tan", "Genuine Horsehide"?

Mine is numbered 968. Yours??

Mike

Mine says "Scotch Shell" model 814. I assume it's horsehide.

 

[jtrops]

Congratulations. I put a half-inch nick in my first strop but with a bit of sanding it was still perfectly usable. I gave it to a friend of mine four years ago after I upgraded to a handamerican strop, and he's still using it.




That seems to me to be overstating it quite a bit. There is plenty of anecdotal evidence that new guys are more likely to nick his strop than veterans, but I've never heard anything like your statement before. New guys are often recommended to purchase an inexpensive yet serviceable razor as their first razor, in case they chip it, and an inexpensive yet serviceable strop as their first strop, in case they slice it, because newbies are prone to doing both of these things - not certain to do it, but more likely than it will be with a few months or a year of experience under his belt. Nobody wants to see a newbie chip a $700 Livi razor or nick a $400 Kanoyama strop, not the hypothetical newbie, and not the rest of us on the forum who get to listen to the wailing and gnashing of teeth.

I probably am overstating it, but if you read through some of the posts out there you'll see a lot of overstating.

Here's an example of a post that has a common theme:

+1

You WILL absolutely destroy your first strop. So if you buy a very expensive high end strop, you will be mad at yourself for destroying it. Buy a $20-$30 model, and then you won't be upset when you destroy it.

The $20 (shipped) Filly from Rup Razor is a good choice, as is the $25 (shipped) strop from starshavingsupplies on ebay.

There have been many other posts that read pretty much the same way, along with a bunch of follow up +1 posts.

It's good advice to get inexpensive, but good quality starter equipment for just about any endeavor. Mostly because you won't know until you get started if it will take. I understand the advice, but why so dramatic.

I can't imagine that I am some sort of exception. Maybe my luck is due to the shell leather strop I've been using, and so I was fortunate to randomly pick up that strop. In that regard it might be good to recommend shell strops as first strops.

 

[Klarion]

Somewhat like cutting yourself early in the game, mine had to do with some boundless confidence turning into carelessness. Trying to go faster, some flips would catch on the strop. My "first" was a TM starter strop, which looks terrible. I suppose I could have saved it since it can be used, but it was cheap, and I had a 3" artisan waiting in the wings. My artisan has a small nick at the bottom, which still doesn't affect performance.

Could just be an excuse to help justify buying a new strop. For those that are worried, buy a nice modular one - like a TM if they come out, or from SRD. If you slice into it, you'll be able to replace it fairly affordably, but if not, you should have something that can last you a while.

 

[jrowen]

Nicked my first strop on the 1st or 2nd attempt. Based on the collective wisdom here and my own experience, I'd say its entirely reasonable to expect that your first strop will bare the marks of experience gained. Congratulations to your first strop for escaping its suppossed fate!

- Jason

 

[michiganlover]

I can't imagine that I am some sort of exception.

I don't think my experience varies from the average new straight razor newbie either. Thus far I have had four strops:

#1: 2" wide, and made from a suede like leather. Has some minor surface cuts, but nothing too deep. Still 100% usable. No linen component.

#2: a Bismark/ Illinios: nicked strop so deeply it could no longer be used for the full length of the strop. 2.5" wide. Leather eventually trimmed, to be used with pastes on a flat surface.

#3: starter strop from "Rickboone1". 2.5" wide. No linen component. Nicked bottom left corner of strop repeatedly. Sanded out damage, and strop is still usable, but sanded area is discolored.

#4: Felt/Cow hide strop from Starshavingsupplies on ebay. 3" wide. Also has signficant nicks to the bottom left corner of the strop.

Considering that #3, and #4 suffer from the same kind of damage, the damage is likely being caused by a flaw in my stropping technique.

I only presently own strops #1, and #4. Strops #2, and #3 were combined together into one usable strop, and sold as part of a newbie kit.

 

[Thebigspendur]

Like everything else some learn very fast and easy and some slow and hard. There are enough instances of razor damage and strop damage that many recommend inexpensive pieces at first. But if you know yourself and feel you got it down from the getgo then your lucky and it doesn't apply to you.

 

[jtrops]

I don't think my experience varies from the average new straight razor newbie either. Thus far I have had four strops:

#1: 2" wide, and made from a suede like leather. Has some minor surface cuts, but nothing too deep. Still 100% usable. No linen component.

#2: a Bismark/ Illinios: nicked strop so deeply it could no longer be used for the full length of the strop. 2.5" wide. Leather eventually trimmed, to be used with pastes on a flat surface.

#3: starter strop from "Rickboone1". 2.5" wide. No linen component. Nicked bottom left corner of strop repeatedly. Sanded out damage, and strop is still usable, but sanded area is discolored.

#4: Felt/Cow hide strop from Starshavingsupplies on ebay. 3" wide. Also has signficant nicks to the bottom left corner of the strop.

Considering that #3, and #4 suffer from the same kind of damage, the damage is likely being caused by a flaw in my stropping technique.

I only presently own strops #1, and #4. Strops #2, and #3 were combined together into one usable strop, and sold as part of a newbie kit.

Thanks for posting this, and I didn't mean to make an example of you post in particular, it was just the latest one that I had read.

My point in making this thread wasn't to validate my own insecurities, or to promote my luck or impressive stropping, but to find out how many people have had a similar experience. Reading the various posts on the forum makes me think that it is abnormal to have a strop that lives through the newb phase.

Maybe it should be a poll to have numbers that support the anecdotal evidence.

 

[TstebinsB]

I never nicked my strops but many a shave ready edge was dulled by my poor stropping technique.

 

[professorchaos]

I didn't seriously damage a strop until I was 10 months into straight razor shaving. I blame the unhealthy amount of alcohol consumed the night before.

 

[Doc4]

It is, of course, possible to be 'perfect' right out of the gate and never nick a strop. I'm sure somewhere someone has never fallen off a bicycle either. But since such perfection is exceptional, we shoudl prepare for reality and expect to put a few dings in our strops while we learn.

(knock on wood)

You have a very unique stropping technique.

 

[Ru4scuba?]

As always, YMMV. I agree with what you are saying. But I also think that BBers are giving good advice when they say "dont spend alot of $ on your first strop."

Since there is no way of seeing into the future and determining what type of str8 shaver a Newb will be...this advice seems easiest on the pocketbook and is safest

 

[DavyRay]

I had a strop when I started straight razor shaving, back in the mid 1970s. It was a standard barber's strop, and I guess it was about 3 inches wide. I never nicked it.

When I returned to this recently, I got a RupRazor Filly, which I put a few nicks in pretty soon. I think this was partly because I altered my stropping technique to an X pattern. The Filly is a narrow strop, so I had to change my stroke. I did put a large gash in it later, which was undoubtedly due to over-indulging the previous evening.

 

[Slash McCoy]

The careful newbie who understands and heeds the instructions he will find here and on other sites might indeed not have a problem with slicing or nicking his first strop. I do agree that it is probably a wise precaution to buy moderate quality and price equipment when just starting, but I don't consider it an absolute ironclad rule.

 

[huntmol]

I think that we just say that so that a brand new straight shaver won't go out and buy a $200 Kanayama strop. When you're starting out you should definitely go for a cheaper strop - not because you definitely will nick it a lot, but just because you probably will. If you don't, use it for as long as you feel like.

 

[Legion]

I'm a newbie to straights so I am still stropping nice and slowly. Having said that, I have still had a few minor accidents, nothing "strop destroying" but I can see that the strops I have now may not last me into my old age.

My solution to this is to get a second hand Tony Miller beginner strop and then add my own hardware to make it a bit easier to use. (I was having trouble with the fact that it had no handle and my hand was getting tired. Probably a technique problem, but the strop modifications were easy to do.)

So far it is holding up well and doing a good job but I still didn't want the possibility of cutting an expensive strop, especially once I get some speed up. I'm not known for my concentration.