Strop Suggestions and questions

[Chris88]

I'm new to straight razor shaving (just ordered my stuff today). I haven't purchased a strop yet. I've looked on westcoastshaving and shavenation. WCS seems to be cheaper in the strop area and all around. i bought the same products that shavenation had on WCS for a few bucks cheaper. Any suggestions for me? I want a high quality one that will last and make the razor sharp. Also, do you apply the chromium paste every time or do you put a good layer on and leave it until it starts to wear off?

Thanks for the help.

 

[Legion]

WCS is a very good place to shop.

If it is your first strop, get a less expensive one, as you will probably damage it learning. Save your money for an expensive one once you get some practice.

You do not use paste on your every day strop. Just leather, or linen/leather. Pastes are only used once the razor starts to dull, to bring the edge back to sharp. Maybe once every week or so. You apply it to the surface once, and that should last many many uses.

 

[Mendel]

I recently have embarked on the straight razor journey myself. Many folks recommend not investing in an expensive strop right away because our "newbieness" may cause us to misadvertently cut the strop due to our poor stropping technique.

As you know, strops come in different sizes, leathers, complementary fabrics (linen, felt, etc.) From my understanding, a 2" strop will need an X pattern stropping motion where a 3" strop does not. And of course, there are 2 1/2 " strops as well.

Some follks have recommended the $23 Whipped Dog Poor Man's Strop Kit. for newbies. Instead, based on other recommendations, I chose to go with Star Shaving's "Big Daddy 3" English Bridle Strop for $36.88. I made this decision based on the size, price, and what's called the "draw" of the leather. English Bridle has more of a medium draw.

As far as the chromium paste, both places mentioned above have various alternatives. I have not yet invested in chromium paste. Some folks have recommended that I have two strops - one for normal stropping and the other strop dedicated to chromium paste, etc. To that end, I may ultimately go with a multi-sided paddle strop that has the chromium paste treatment.

May I ask what razor you purchased? By the way, WCS is a well respected vendor.

 

[oakeshott]

You WILL cut your strop. Many times. For that reason most recommend something inexpensive and it is good advice. You might also pick up some 600 grit sandpaper now for buffing those scratches out after they occur. Once you get to the stage where you are reliably stropping without cutting, the sky is the limit. Any well made strop will last decades under normal use and with basic care. They all do the same thing to the razors edge and most people make their decisions based on the feel of the draw and the quality of the components.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Larry's Poor Man Strop Kit is a good introductory strop. It is cheap enough that your beginner's butchery of it will not leave you in tears. Plus it comes with a pasted balsa strop. www.whippeddog.com.

If you want to jump right in to a full size strop, get a Big Daddy from www.starshaving.com. The hardware is detachable so if you nick it up, after you have learned to strop properly, you can swap ends, and put the damaged right-hand edge on the left side. Or replace the leather. Get a replacement leather from the same site. Or ditch the felt and replace that with another leather so you have two leathers. Then you can paste one, and leave the main one clean. The Big Daddy is HUGE, decent quality, and an unbeatable price for what you are getting.

I prefer to use pastes on a block of balsa. And do NOT paste your main leather strop. If you want to paste a leather strop, which I don't recommend in general, get two strops.

Paste should not be a layer on the leather. You want to rub the abrasive particles into the leather or balsa. If paste is slathered on the surface, it works like a slurry. Cuts faster maybe, but you won't get as sharp and smooth an edge.

I prefer diamond over CrOx. You have better particle consistency, faster cutting, and a variety of grit sizes. On balsa, I am now using .25u on one side and .1u on the other, and loving it. A beginner would do well with 1u and .5u or maybe 1u and .25u. Maybe .5u and .25u. I strop on the pasted balsa a couple dozen laps on the coarse and fine sides after every shave, and my edges don't go dull. If one seems to be slipping a little, I just triple the laps for a session or two.

Before shaving, all I do is strop on the UNPASTED Big Daddy strop.

Good luck and happy shaves!

 

[Chris88]

Thanks for all the help gents. I might have jumped the gun and bought an expensive strop to start. We'll see how it goes. This is what I have purchased so far:

-Col. Conk Large Covered Onyx Bowl, Marble
-Edwin Jagger Best Black Badger Shaving Brush, Imitation Tortoise Shell
-Dovo Bergischer Lowe Buffalo Horn 5/8" Straight Razor
-Proraso Shaving Cream, Sandalwood, 150ml
-Muhle R89 Double Edge Safety Razor
-Walkin' Horse 3" English Bridle with Linen, Dark Brown

Probably going to buy stand for the razors and brushes next pay check or in the near future. Can't continue to use my credit card -.-

 

[Alum of Potash]

Thanks for all the help gents. I might have jumped the gun and bought an expensive strop to start. We'll see how it goes. This is what I have purchased so far:

-Col. Conk Large Covered Onyx Bowl, Marble
-Edwin Jagger Best Black Badger Shaving Brush, Imitation Tortoise Shell
-Dovo Bergischer Lowe Buffalo Horn 5/8" Straight Razor
-Proraso Shaving Cream, Sandalwood, 150ml
-Muhle R89 Double Edge Safety Razor
-Walkin' Horse 3" English Bridle with Linen, Dark Brown

Probably going to buy stand for the razors and brushes next pay check or in the near future. Can't continue to use my credit card -.-

I would suggest holding off on the Walkin' Horse strop until you have stropping down with a cheaper or more dispensable strop first. Then the cheaper one can become your travel strop. I also hope that your straight razor was purchased in "shave-ready" condition.

Edit: Welcome to B&B, btw. You might introduce yourself to the rest of the gang in the "Hall of Fame" forum.

 

[Chris88]

Too late to hold off. Live and learn I guess. Yes, it is shave ready.

 

[SIG9]

Hold off on the Walkin' Horse. You will cut your strop regardless of how careful you are or how slow you go.

For $22 get a Rupp Filly strop. It'll get the job done until you're ready to step up to the more expensive strop.

 

[jpcwon]

Hold off on the Walkin' Horse. You will cut your strop regardless of how careful you are or how slow you go.

+1...When I first started I swore up & down that I was not gonna be "that guy" who nicks his strop...Well, guess what...I nicked my strop!! More than once... It's not a matter of if, but when TBH...

 

[jrward2]

Yes my whipped dog strops look terrible. I'm glad I bought them first since they were so cheap. I'd highly suggest getting a cheap strop to start on before the walking horse.

 

[life2short1971]

Thats ok Don't listen to them. I started with the expensive strop too! I loved it the whole week I had it! The next three were just as nice too!!! After your done with that one get ya a couple of the Kanayama 60000. Those are my favorite so far of all.

 

[Wid]

I did the same thing. Bought an Ambrose HH and had it cut up in no time.

 

[jpcwon]

Thats ok Don't listen to them. I started with the expensive strop too! I loved it the whole week I had it! The next three were just as nice too!!! After your done with that one get ya a couple of the Kanayama 60000. Those are my favorite so far of all.

LOL I wish I had your luck!!

 

[Aristeros]

I got dirt cheap strops to start with and was glad I did. I shredded two and am just now getting the hang of it. Better to do that with a 15 or 20'dollar strop than a 50 dollar one. Isn't there a guy who stropped with newsprint? Maybe that is safest.

 

[Virgilio]

I started with an expensive strop too, a Tony Miller synthetic. He advertises it as a good beginner strop, and I agree. It works great, no maintenance, and I often wonder what it's like to nick a strop.

 

[VeLoRoK]

How are you guys cutting up your strops? From the videos I've learned from, I never take the spine off the strop, and I lift the blade before changing direction, and am I'm moving back when the blade comes back down again. The edge is always trailing. I don't see how you could cut a strop like that.

 

[Slash McCoy]

How are you guys cutting up your strops? From the videos I've learned from, I never take the spine off the strop, and I lift the blade before changing direction, and am I'm moving back when the blade comes back down again. The edge is always trailing. I don't see how you could cut a strop like that.

Yeah it's just not possible, right? Well, it happens anyway. Sorta a twilight zone thing I guess. The thing is, it only takes one impossible occurrence for it to have occurred, and like Mary Poppins said, "impossible things happen every day." Now are you gonna argue with Mary Poppins and Rod Serling, or are you gonna go with the flow here?

 

[jpakstis]

Yeah, my first attempt at straight shaving a few years' ago, I got one of those sets from Straight Razor Designs, with a nice strop. At first I never nicked it, and then I just slipped a little and got a decent nick. Then after that it seemed that every time I stropped I nicked it. None of them major, but I just got into a slump.

 

[BDF]

Go faster and the nicks will probably appear.

Most nicks occur on the edge facing the dominant hand at the ends of the razor's stroke. They come from getting just a tad out of synch. between flipping the razor, holding the razor against the strop (lots of times the razor lifts although we would all swear that is not the case) and turning the razor only enough to bring the edge back in contact with the strop. It happens. Small nicks on the edge are no problem and can either be carefully cut off with a razor blade (not one you shave with) or gently sanded down just so they do not stick up and cause the razor to rumble as it passes over them.

Brian

How are you guys cutting up your strops? From the videos I've learned from, I never take the spine off the strop, and I lift the blade before changing direction, and am I'm moving back when the blade comes back down again. The edge is always trailing. I don't see how you could cut a strop like that.