Thread: vintage strop was rolled up...bad?

Hey guys, this is my first post. My girlfriend bought me a straight razor and after doing some research on your site, I'm going to attempt to use it. I know that I need a strop, and I think I've found one I want. It's older, and has some cool decorations on the handle. From the pictures, the leather on the strop looks good and smooth, but the description says that the strop was bought while it was rolled up, and that it will be shipped the same way unless I specially request otherwise.

So my question: will rolling up a strop ruin it?

First off welcome. Its ok to roll it up as long as it doesnt get rolled tight enough to crease it. Any wrinkles or creases will damage the leather and inhibit its use. your best bet is ask the seller to lay it flat in a box if possible. Also make sure your razor has been profesionally sharpened. If not it will not shave properly. Factory edges are not ready to be shaved with. There arer many members here that will do it for a very reasonable fee. Oncew the razor is sharp the strop will keep it that way for a good amount of time. The strop is for upkeep not sharpening so make sure it has been sharpened.

From my reading here, if it is rolled loosely, it would probably be ok, but if it's rolled up kinda tight, the leather can crack, or wrinkle/crease which would make the surface uneven.

Welcome to SRP. When I have bought a vintage strop on ebay, and I've bought a few, I always tell the seller that I will pay extra if they will ship it in a box large enough to prevent creasing the strop.

They are usually happy to do it and most don't charge extra. I would have to see a photo of the strop laid flat to make sure it isn't already damaged if I was buying it.

I don't recommend rolling up a strop. In fact I ship my strops in a box that will allow for it to lay flat