roughrider said:Happy birthday and nice razor.
rtaylor61 said:Rich,
Our very own Tony Miller offers some incredible strops. I have one of his 4 sided paddle strops and a hanging strop. Great prices, first class customer service, and "he is a member". Never mind, that was the hair club thing!
http://www.thewellshavedgentleman.com/
Checking with Tony will give you the opportunity of not only buying great merchandise, but it is handcrafted by someone who actually uses a straight razor.
Best of luck!
Randy
My recomendation is for a beginner to use a paddle strop. It is easier to use, you don't have to worry about sagging and cupping leather with it.
Looks like you have some cleaning to do. Start out with warm soapy water and an old "soft" toothbrush. At Wal Mart, you can pick up some MAAS, located on the "cleaning" row. It comes in a tube. Check out the Str8 Razor Restoration File:
http://homepage.mac.com/briandonofrio/str8/FileSharing87.html
Ask any questions you may have!
Randy