Thread: Grrrrr.

Well under advice from everyone I bought a cheap Fily strop when I started a year ago assuming that I would mangle like everyone said. Now a year later there is NOT ONE SINGLE nick on it. So I'm having a hard time justifying a new $90 strop to the signficant other.

That being the case, I think I might be able to sneak one under the radar and am comparing the SRD and Tony Miller.

Does anyone out there have an opinion as to which is better? Also, why does TM only have 2.5 inches instead of 3. Does that extra 1/2 inch make any difference?

Opinions?

What I wouldn't give for an extra 1/2 inch!

I use the SRD Modular Paddle with Bridle leather and think it works great.

There are some of the best strops available on Straight Razor Designs website. They are our hosts here as well.
I have several of their offerings to include horsehide, buffalo and premium 2 all in 3" wide with a variety of
secondary strops. Now they have announced a roo strop and I am tempted.

I have a variety of the SRD strops. I own the Premium I, III, IV, and Modular paddle. Of these, the III is my absolute favourite because I'm a sucker for really thick draw. Next, the Premium I, and finally the IV. The Mod I use when i travel. I may have a different opinion of the IV's, because I may have mangled it with too much neatsfoot oil when I first started....you know, when you try and over-correct everything....like a 16 year old driver.

I also own variation of secondary strops, including the Premium fabric, Poly webbing, and hard felt. I love the hard felt for the Diamond and CrOx sprays, and for drying a razor after a shave. The premium fabric feels great with wedges and quarter hollows. But...the poly-webbing is where it's at. It puts the nicest edge on IMO.

Anyway, I love my SRD strops. They look great and perform superb.

Originally Posted by volleykinginnc

Well under advice from everyone I bought a cheap Fily strop when I started a year ago assuming that I would mangle like everyone said. Now a year later there is NOT ONE SINGLE nick on it. So I'm having a hard time justifying a new $90 strop to the signficant other.

That being the case, I think I might be able to sneak one under the radar and am comparing the SRD and Tony Miller.

Does anyone out there have an opinion as to which is better? Also, why does TM only have 2.5 inches instead of 3. Does that extra 1/2 inch make any difference?

Opinions?

Opinion ---OK.

What is the fabric side of your strop?

If you have a leather only strop as I suspect
consider a hard felt strop like the
STRAIGHT RAZOR DESIGNS 3" ROCK HARD WOOL & CHOOSE 2ND MATERIAL
Add a submicron spray like 0.25 micron diamond for the felt side.

There is quite a bit of difference from a 2" strop to a 3" strop
but my favorite 2.5" strop fits my stropping stroke just fine.
I seem to have a natural X stroke and my 3" strop feels a bit
roomy. A lot depends on what you start with and grow into.

The wide strops require a very fine select slice of leather
to not cup or distort when compared to a narrower
strop.

The reason I mention this choice is that the fabric
side of a strop seems to have been given less attention
than the twenty different leathers but is nearly
as important... depending on the hone it is key to
correcting a slight pre-burr or pulling out the
normal crumpled edge that tough whiskers gives
a blade and also polishing the fine edge itself.

Fabric is part of the tag team for maintaining
an edge... if nothing else it keeps the leather clean
by wiping the edge clean before the blade
gets to the leather.

lucky you. i started out with an $80 dovo strop and it has nicks galore! eh as long as it does the job i'm all good! (i also have an Illinois with nicks too. lol)

I have an SRD premium II and love the smooth, effortless draw it has. The nylon webbing is also quite nice but I'm thinking about picking up a hard felt strop from SRD as well.

Originally Posted by bharner

I have an SRD premium II and love the smooth, effortless draw it has. The nylon webbing is also quite nice but I'm thinking about picking up a hard felt strop from SRD as well.

You know SRD makes replacement parts for your strop. Might be a more economical way to try different materials.

Originally Posted by JoeSomebody

You know SRD makes replacement parts for your strop. Might be a more economical way to try different materials.

If I was SR shaving solely for the economics of it I would have either stuck with my PMSK and maybe added a cheap latigo and called it good.
As it is I'm rather lazy and don't have it in me to switch materials all the time (until I get a modular paddle) so I'll stop buying watches for the next couple months and come fall pick up one of the other SRD premiums (buffalo sounds rather interesting) and a tub of MdC to reward myself for a long summer spent at work and working around the house.

Originally Posted by volleykinginnc

So I'm having a hard time justifying a new $90 strop to the signficant other.

You should have applied Einstein's theory of relativity & presented her with the price for a 90000 Kanayama first. $90 would then have seemed cheap.