Taking an extended trip and am thinking of carrying along a straight this time. Do not feel like buying another strop; I already have two. Could pack one I guess but I'm wondering if just using a linen or fine weave fabric strop and not bringing a leather strop to worry about would work for 2-3 weeks?? Anyone ever gone that route??
Anyone out there Strop using only Fabric, no Leather?
- Thread starter Acmemfg
- Start date
You could palm strop might be an idea.
Last edited:
I have seen a youtube video of an individual who uses denim from old blue jeans. Never tried it though - since I don't use a straight.
I palm strop every time yes it does work! You can also make a newspaper strop it works great! I fold and lay mine on the desk at the hotel and strop like a paddle strop, although you can make a hanging one as well.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
What are you wearing as a belt?
- Thread starter
- #6
One I would not want to take even the smallest chance on nicking with a razor.
Ron R
I survived a lathey foreman
I have been experimenting on a old denim ring that I cut from the leg of blue jean pants the width of the blade and it does extend the life of the cartridge blade.( over 2 months, it helps no doubt give a better shave.)Stropping reduces the curling of edges on any razor which gives you the sharpness and smoothness back. Stropping works on steel edges for generations of wet shavers and cleans the surface after finished shaving. A few (10) passes after and before the shave will extend the life, if you are going to try it on a de blade buy a cheap Chinese razor with barn door wings that open and close because for speed and safety(30 seconds of prep for a better shave), it will over time take the finish off your good razor if you strop with blade in it unless its chrome- chrome is very hard metal surface.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
I suggest just getting a strop you can afford to lose or damage, rather than mess about with improvised strops. Plese dont use a belt. They are not suitable. Newspaper IMHO is next best thing but still not very good IMHO. Get a proper strop. You can make a dandy case for it out of 3" pvc pipe just slightly longer than your travel strop. You can heat it in an oven at 300 or so for however long it takes to get soft, and press it between two boards and flatten it somewhat to make it more compact, which of course means you can maybe use 2" pipe instead of 3". Take a bungee cord and hook into one D ring and run the bungee outside the PVC and hook it in to the other D ring or fitting. This keeps the strop stretched out straight, protects it from wrinkles and creases and dents, and only costs a couple of bucks. I like a full width strop at all times, even for travel, but for travel I am willing to compromise on length. A strop 12" or so works fine once you get used to it. Longer strops are always damaged in transit, it seems. A shorter strop means the PVC travel case can be shorter. While you are at it, get some 1-1/2" PVC and two end caps for a brush case. Drill some vent holes in the pipe so your brush can dry. Glue one cap on if you like but one of course is just pressed on, with the brush inside.
I'm new to this blog so if my info has already been posted , please forgive me. The points I have not seen are first the blade or cartridge must be dried. I use my wifes hair drier for 30 seconds drying the blade(s) and handle and right away , placing the set in a zip lock plastic sandwich bag , burp bag then sealing it. The edge of the blades degrade fairly quickly and look like the edge of a saw blade after a few shaves. The next time I'm ready to use the blade, I take a fairly new pair of jeans , place them over the edge of the front of the drawer and "stropp" the blade while attached to the handle running across the grain 20 strokes on maybe 6 inches of the smooth part of the jeans. I would agree that the shave from a brand new blade is better but this method seems to bring it to 50% to 75% of a new blade. After a month of daily shaves , I change to a new blade so I can buy a 12 pack of Gillette of blades once a year. Drying is the key at the end of each shave and sealing it in a ziplock. Thanks for listening/reading
when stropping with a pair of good (not worn out with good grain in the material)blue jeans, strop in the opposite direction as shaving.Yes the other direction. Again, the blades degrade quickly so as soon as you are done shaving, simply rinse well the soap and hair from the cartridge, dry well (even the handle) and immediately place (with dry hands) in the ziplock bag
No need to bring any strop really. Just do forty laps or so on your thigh with your trousers on. I often do this anyway, even with a strop at hand.
Denim, polyester, nylon all make pretty good stropping materials. Stop in your local auto recycler and bring an old seatbelt.
Denim, polyester, nylon all make pretty good stropping materials. Stop in your local auto recycler and bring an old seatbelt.
Give it a go trying new things; worst that can happen is an extended run of bad shaves. Happy travels.
Leather does provide a noticeable improvement.
I've lately bought a couple of small Dovo strops, the same ones I started out on a while ago.
They're portable and have a top class linen or hemp, treated with their white chalk paste and a feinstes kernjuchten leather. Very underrated strops. They also make a paddle strop with leather only, but you're really missing out on the best part of their strops, their linen/hemp + dovo/herold white chalk/paste, I like their component strop A LOT.
I've lately bought a couple of small Dovo strops, the same ones I started out on a while ago.
They're portable and have a top class linen or hemp, treated with their white chalk paste and a feinstes kernjuchten leather. Very underrated strops. They also make a paddle strop with leather only, but you're really missing out on the best part of their strops, their linen/hemp + dovo/herold white chalk/paste, I like their component strop A LOT.
Last edited:
Steve56
Ask me about shaving naked!
My travel strop these days is just a regular strop in a strop case or plastic sleeve, along with a 15’ piece of paracord. If I’m traveling by air, the strop is placed against the inside wall of a hard-sided checked bag. If I’m traveling by car, it just lays down in the back seat or trunk/boot. The paracord attaches it to just about anything and seves as an expedient clothes line. I don’t have to use different stropping skills than those I use at home.
A paddle strop would probably be my next choice, packable and versatile.
A paddle strop would probably be my next choice, packable and versatile.
I only use fabric these days. I don't feel any diffrence between using leather and using fabric only.
Dovo makes a nice 20X2in travel strop with a cotton linen sewn to a nice soft leather strop. Add a 18 inch piece of para cord and hang from a door knob.
The strop rolls into a 2 inch roll that fits in a shave bag or shoe in your luggage.
Hand stropping works in a pinch.
The strop rolls into a 2 inch roll that fits in a shave bag or shoe in your luggage.
Hand stropping works in a pinch.
Thank you. This is very interesting for travel days
I'm no expert at this. But I wouldn't even try an edge that hasn't touched leather at this point in my journey
Similar threads
