Thread: SRD Premium II

In the interest of full disclosure, I will mention that I won this strop at Razorcon in Asheville NC this year. I bought a premium I blank, but not before breaking in the Premium II leather which I will review here along with a repeat of the other strop components/features.


Right out of the box the Premium II has a slightly stiff drape but has a very light velvety feel to the surface. As it broke in, the drape and feel became more and more like horsehide!


Feedback: This strop provided great feedback on when it was warming up, and the consistency of your stropping. 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 strop races up and back pretty fast with a very light draw. The draw gets slightly heavier after it breaks in and each time it warms up, but no where near what I have come to prefer in an everyday draw (i.e. HEAVY) Compared to a TM Buffed Horsehide 3", it is slightly faster making me think that this has got to be like using regular horsehide. Here is the thing: It ain't Horsehide!! Amazingly enough this strop is cowhide! I will say again, as I cut my stropping teeth on a heavy draw Illinois 827, that is what I prefer, Heavy Draw. This is not the everyday leather for me, but plenty of people swear by horsehide and faster strops. If you like lighter draw, this is the leather for you.
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. Further, and I should edit this into my other review, I have removed and replaced the chicago screws in order to swap leather etc and the whole system is holding up perfectly.

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. Two, the TM had all the chicago screw slots pointing in the same direction when I got it and this strop didn't. (NOTE: this was on the original Premium II leather and I didn't complain because I don't care.)
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 II SRD if you like a lighter draw or you like heavy draw and are looking for a finishing strop . The strop breaks in well (not as fast as the Premium I but what could?!) and has consistent draw.