Thread: Advice on follow on strop. Illinois and mountain mike

Hey guys,

So i feel the time has come to upgrade my strop. I got a basic dovo strop from steve at invisible edge in the uk as part of my starter kit (great value, thanks steve), now that was around 2 to 3 months ago, and the razor included in the kit saw A LOT of use for the first 6 weeks (everyday 2 to 3 passes). Add to that the fact that i was learning (and am still perfecting) stropping and you have a recipe for a razor that's starting to get tired.

So I want to retire my dovo to become a pasted strop (CrO2) and get a linen/leather combo strop, as I'm hoping this combo will maximise the amount of time between honings (which i'm intimidated by tbh).

So, what I don't want to do is buy a tony miller or invisible edge handmade strop because as i say, my technique still needs refinement. Hands up, i still nick my strop once in a while (usually a flap) generally because i think i've got the technique and start going after speed.. I want to get something a little cheaper that i'm not going to feel quite as bad about if i nick them once in a while.

I was looking at Illinois strops and mountain mike strops. If i buy from the US, they're cheap enough that i won't have to pay customs charges on them. Mountain mike are available here but the markup is ridiculous.

Thoughts on these 2 makers? they look solid, well made, and do not look like they cost what they do. plus they all seem to have a linen component for the same price my dovo cost.

Looking for a 2.5 to 3" which they both seem to do, and they also seem quite long as well

Edit: Having searched the forums I've also found starshaving.com. Thoughts on these strops also?

Maybe buying the high end strop will cause you to slow down a bit and keep from nicking your strop??

Just a thought...

My first nicks were because of speed....I thought I was cool. Like a new 16 year old driver and a gas pedal.

Now I know better.

For your situation I would reccomend the Illinois Model 361.

I've had an Illinois 827 for 30 years. It's a good strop. It got water damaged
in a cyclone last year, so I sanded it off, flipped the linen side over, and
put it back in service pasted with CeOx. It's still working well.

I replaced the 827 for everyday use with a 3" Mountain Mike latigo strop. It's
long and heavy, and the leather has a nice finish. The "linen" side isn't linen:
its some sort of woven synthetic, but it works well, even though the weave
isn't as fine as the 827 linen. Over all, it's a well made, substantial strop.

My only complaint about the Mountain Mike strop is that the Chicago screws
loosened up early on, and I lost a couple of them before I realized what was
happening. I solved the problem by putting a drop of Loktite on each screw
and there has been no further trouble.

I expect that the Mountain Mike strop will give years of good service, as did
the Illinois 827. I don't think that you can go wrong with either one.

I also have a 3" kangeroo hide strop, made by a member here, MickR.
It has more draw than the latigo, which I like, and it's very light and
flexible. It's an excellent travel strop because it can be rolled up without
suffering any damage. Roo hide is tough stuff. I like it alot.

Good luck.

Paul

I have nothing but good to say about the #827...

My personal everyday strop is a SRD Premium #1,,,

But my workhorse strop for after honing is a #827 I have used these strops for 1000's of razors... Personally I really love the linen component on them...

Hey guys thanks for that, good advice as always here.

My thoughts on whats been suggested so far are that I'd really like something with a handle, which the 361 doesn't have, and having searched a little, the 827 has been commented on as being a little rough cut? almost like an "inbetween" stage strop (I'm paraphrasing something tony miller wrote about the 827). I've seen #127 which is 2.5", has a handle and is smoother, Any opinions on this one?

Illinois #827 Strop

I'm maybe over thinking this, or being too choosy, basically i want to upgrade to an "everyday use", good quality strop with linen component. illinois seems to be a good bet for this. I have 3 other razors that are fairly fresh to take care of as well as the tired one i want to freshen up.

well been looking and searching info and i'm coming round to the idea of the 361 without the handle. Anyone have experience with this model? does it stay flat when holding it?

All the recomendations above are great, any of them should give you great service for many many years. My only input would be a e-bay seller that was brought up before, starshavingsupplies. I have a handful of Ron L.'s strops and they are all very well made, very affordable and Ron is a great chap to do business with, That's just my 2 pennies worth. I also use a number of old e-bay strops that I put some TLC of my own into and being older and well broken in they work great also, but don't get ahead of your self, you can't go wrong with the advice so far given in this thread. Have a great week and always a BBS to make you feel your best!!

Again, tinkersd of SRP!

The mountain mike strop is just a copy of the SRD strops. If you're going to spend that much money, you might as well go with the original.

Originally Posted by tekbow

well been looking and searching info and i'm coming round to the idea of the 361 without the handle. Anyone have experience with this model? does it stay flat when holding it?

Don't be afraid of a strop without a handle, they're just as easy to use, you just have to learn how to hold it. Buy a strop with the leather and linen components that you like, those take precedence; and if you're anything like me, you'll come to prefer the barber grip. Good luck, and take your time learning how to strop properly, it's the most important aspect of razor maintenence-- and for me, was the skill that took the longest to learn.