Thread: SRD Premium I

In the interest of full disclosure, I will mention that I won this strop at Razorcon in Asheville NC this year. As I won it, it was an SRD Premium II but I bought the Premium I leather to put on it and that is why this one is two tone. Okay, now to the meat of the review!


Right out of the box the premium one has a very soft and supple feel. the first thing that I noticed was the fact that it draped across my hand with the same feeling as my TM buffed horsehide.


Feedback: This strop was pretty loose feeling at first but after a week of use, it provides amazing feedback on your stroke. The sound is consistent on the up and back strokes with a heavy wedge (8/8 John Elliott's), a half hollow (TI SuperGnome Extra 6/8), or a full hollow (13/16 DD wonderedge).

Speed:Leather This is the fun part! This strop started out pretty fast but after about a week and half of use it slowed down. Now, I like heavy draw and until now, I have been using my Illinois 827 as my every day blade buffer, but this thing has replaced it! The draw is best described as buttery and feels like you are drawing along a honey covered surface. Further, it is smoooooth and consistent from the top to the bottom and back.
Linen The linen is very fast and synthetic feeling, but does a great job of cleaning the edge. I have pasted one side with .5 micron diamond spray (SRD 15 Carat) and it performs beautifully for my razors. It is comparable to .5 diamond on felt which produces a slightly smoother edge for me.


Durability: What can be said here? It didn't fall apart, nor does it appear as though it will any time soon. The hardware is beefy and this is a tried and true design that we know is unlikely to cup.

Portability:I mark this low on the scale because it is a big boy strop that might not fit in your carry on. That is of little consequence to me as I proudly display this one in the shave den 24/7!

Size: I like the three inch width and the length is just right too.

Craftsmanship:The only strops I have to compare this one to are my Illinois 827 and the 3" TM buffed Horsehide that I owned. This strop is in a whole class apart from the Illinois 827 so I am not even going there. I will say that when compared to the craftsmanship on my TM, this strop comes in a single measly point below. The only reasons are these: One, upon disassembling both strops, I found a small, inconsequential blemish on a hidden part of the leather of the SRD strop. (NOTE: this was on the original Premium II leather and I didn't complain about it because I don't care.) Two, the TM had all the chicago screw slots pointing in the same direction when I got it and this strop didn't.
But here are two other things to consider: One, the SRD strop is cheaper. Two, the SRD strop is available.

Summary: All things considered, you can't go wrong with the Premium I SRD. The strop breaks in fast and has great draw.

Nothing much to add to Rob's review. I've had mine for 4 days now, but I could not resist the temptation to strop, and strop, and strop again. While the leather did indeed feel a little slick in the beginning, it has now acquired the attributes ascribed to it by Rob.

My benchmark strop so far has been The Different Scent: "Old Traditional natur". However, it takes a different approach, as it comes with a leather side only.

Let me begin by saying that Don and Lynn know how to ship their products professionally. The strop is not rolled up, but comes in a very nice package, and the strop itself is sealed in waterproof foil. Ruin this, Deutsche Post!



Feedback: 9.5 for the time being. It might develop even more, but it's already the best strop I've ever had as far as feedback is concerned.

Speed: Perfect. Maybe not the strop with which to win speed stropping contests, but it fits my personal stropping speed perfectly.

Durability: Only time will tell, but all the materials look and feel valuable.

Portability: n/a. This strop is not meant to be carried around, but hung up on a wall, and adored.

Size: It's a big strop (Stropping Area 17 inches by 3 inches. Overall Length 28 inches). So, it's 3" wide, which I have learnt to really like over the past few days. Here is a comparison to an Illinois, and the Old Traditional:


Craftsmanship: Loving attention to every detail. Flawless leather, nice rivets, the webbing feels good, and also works well. It even comes with a carabiner and an o-ring - brilliant. You have to have held one in your hands (luckily, they can be obtained from SRD for very reasonable money), to appreciate how well this strop is made.


Overall impression: Somebody has put a lot of thought into this strop, but also made sure it looks good. And as you can order spare parts for it, it might be the only strop you will ever need. Highly recommended!