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What are the benefits of a high-quality strop versus cheap generic ones?

I have a cowhide by Tony Miller and a cordovan by Griffith. They are both 3 inches wide. They both provide satisfactory HHT on a well honed razor. I would like to try a Kanayama but they only make a 2-1/2 inch width. I really like the 3 inch width.
 
I do leatherwork on the side, making everything from holsters and sheaths, to custom tooled leather journals, to possible bags. When I started shaving with a straight razor I was deployed and used a friends strop (he traded with me for my first razor and let me use his strop to keep it up while deployed). When I returned home, obviously I needed a strop. I found a right sized piece of 5/6 veg tan in my cull pile. I didn’t use it for anything nice as it has some stretch marks and wouldn’t dye evenly. Otherwise it wasn’t cupped and was smooth. Some hardware, back it with a strip of canvas, and viola I had a strop. It works every bit as good as my friends, if not a touch better.

I will second deaconleather from reddit. Any top grain, smooth, flat piece of veg tan leather of sufficient thickness will work fine as a strop.
 
I would like to try a Kanayama but they only make a 2-1/2 inch width. I really like the 3 inch width.

I asked Mr Naomi who makes the Kanayama strops about making 3" strops and he said that he gets about four strops out of
each hide. He added that can only to use the center of the hide which is the thickest part. Making a 3" strop would mean that
he gets one less strop out of the cordovan that he sources. So, it is not economically in his interest to do a 3" strop.

IMG_1709.jpeg
 
Your cheek will tell you the difference
And there is a difference
Please zoom the picture
Regards
Ganko
 

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