Welcome to the Leather Strop site!
 |
| Every
blade
gets dull after shaving a tough beard. Honing or Stropping is how you
solve
this by dragging the edge of your sharpened knife over the leather
strop, also called a
razor strop,
to remove the fine burr left behind after sharpening.
There also
can be a thin wire edge of straight, but weak burr that quickly
becomes dull and requires frequent resharpening. To
prevent this you need
to do some honing or stropping with a fine leather
strop. You
can also load your razor strop with abrasives to get an even sharper
edge. Shaving for men can be an important part of our day. Getting a great shave is also important, and there's no better way to shave than with a straight razor. Leather strops are generally made from cowhide or horsehide. There are many different kinds of leather that can and are used in other countries, but cowhide is the most popular. Some razor strops are two sided, one being a softer surface than the other, for even better razor honing. Some razor strops also come with a swivel clip on one end to attach to the wall next to your sharpening or shaving area. The other end of the razor strop usually has a handle for easier grip. You've probably seen old pictures or movies of barbers or men shaving and holding the strop while sharpening their straight razor. After the traditional stone sharpening of your razor, the edge should be ready for your leather strop. Always use the weight of the blade when dragging your razor across the strop. Too much pressure and you will roll your nice edge, causing it to lose it's sharpness. Conversely, don't use too little pressure, called lifting the blade, or you won't get much out of your stropping. With the right light honing you shoud see results in a few minutes or so. |
You'll need to have separate strop pads for each abrasive compound you want to use. Washing won't work so use a dedicated strop for each compound. Some razor strops are two sided for this very reason. Use a fine grain compound on one side, and a heavier grain on the other.
Fromm Razor Strop 2 1/2" X 23"
By G. Chance "deathiswatching" (Annandale, VA USA) - I'm not an expert when it comes to strops and straight razors, but if you are a knife collector (as I am) a strop is a must-have for finishing off those knives and getting a razor edge. This does exactly that, and does it well. Plus it is a good price, made in the USA, and is eligible for Amazon Prime shipping. You can't beat this, get it. My 2¢
By Larry Andreassen - This strop is a good beginners strop. Doesn't cost too much. So, you won't cry when you nick and slice it up! (You will.) Once you are better, you can reorder this strop (for it will do well), or a better strop. A bit of advice though. If you intend on pasting your strop with abrasives like Dovo Red and Black paste, or Chromium Oxide, use balsa wood for your strop for the first few months. Then, start using a leather strop when you are less likely to newbie fashion destroy it! Buy a 4 inch by 3 foot balsa wood strip at a hobby store, cut in half, and use it as is. No need to paste the balsa to anything.
By Al Bacone (SoCal, USA) - If you use a straight razor, you need a strop. This is a strop- nothing fancy, just good hard linen on one side and nice smooth leather on the other. The price is right on this one, and it leaves my razor with a perfect edge every time.
Scalpmaster Barber Strop
By T. Garrison "TG" (Denver, CO) - Not expensive, but also not a high quality product. The leather grain was uneven, and inconsistent. The leather is too hard to properly strop a straight razor, and the canvas side is too coarse.
By D. Carlile - Very poor quality. The leather is stiff and too rough to use to actually sharpen a razor. I wish I had been paying more attention when I bought this. You live and learn.
By Brandon White (Cleveland, OH USA) - I purchased this item before I knew what I was doing. The materials are very poor, I found many bumps and gouges in the leather. If you're going to buy it, use it only for stropping practice on a practice razor. Its simply not useful for anything else.
SIMCO Barber Razor Blade (Black or White)
By Jeffrey Girard (Seattle, WA USA) - Only two companies still making SE razors should be considered: Dovo (Germany) and Thiers Issard (France). Otherwise, get older/discontinued razors from someone who knows what they are doing. Check out straight razor place or badger & blade (google them). Simco makes their blades in Pakistan... and are not shave-ready out of the box (or ever in my opinion).
By L. Bentz - I've tried everything on this razor. I bought a water sharpening stone to hone it, and I have a strop. However, no matter how much I sharpen it or hone it, it remains dull. I go over my face over and over again, and very little hair is removed. I do manage to cut my self 22 times, but little hair is removed. If you want to shave with a straight razor you should either buy a DOVO or buy a vintage one from the 30's made by a good american company such as: 1.) Waterville 2.) Genco 3.) Geneva 4.) Case (W.R. Case & Sons) 5.) Winchester 6.) Sta-Sharp 7.) Craftsman (There is also a German version that is superlative)
By The Time Keeper "Dave" (Battle Ground, WA. USA) - This is a great razor although the color of the handle I received was white not black. So who is watching me shave? I was sick of paying Gillette and Schick for their garbage, so I went back to the trusty straight razor. Be carefull. Learn what you are doing first, get a strop and a styptic pencil, because you will need them. A hone(I own knifes so I have several) is good to have also, but this blade unlike others comes very sharp and is hollow ground. A good straight razor shave can last you two days before you feel stubble, if done right. I have had professional barbers look at this and awe at it. It works great, but be careful and watch out for the jugular, one slip there and times up. Highly Recommended. The Time Keeper
By Estevan Rios "OmniCorp. Universal Applications" (Kelso, Wa.) - Highly Recommend items from this seller. They're great quality and the seller is very prompt on delivery. You won't be disappointed. Items like this, straight razor, are great gifts for guys that are tired of being slaves to the Gilette Co.