Strop Acquisition Thread

[Tony Miller]

You got that assembled fast ! I just shipped the kit out 4 days ago LOL

(This was a kit, finished wooden paddle blank and four pre-cut horsehide pieces that you glue on and apply abrasives to yourself).

Tony Miller 4 sided paddle strop. Dovo red and black paste. Then SRD .50 and .25 diamond spray. This spray has to be a decade old.

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[Wid]

You got that assembled fast ! I just shipped the kit out 4 days ago LOL

(This was a kit, finished wooden paddle blank and four pre-cut horsehide pieces that you glue on and apply abrasives to yourself).

I was ready and waiting when it arrived the wood was finished super nice and the leather was of course top notch. Thanks again @Tony Miller for such quality products. Quite affordable to boot.

 

[Calyshaver]

Got my first strop from Heirloom Razor Strop based on my BnB research. Now I just need an SR razor, which is also inbound. Ordered the Latigo beginner strop on Friday, received it cross country on Monday. It is almost as nice as my Ferragamo dress belt and has very nice and shiny hardware. Picture taken in the garage out of sight of my hawk-eyes wife.

 

[Ravenonrock]

Got my first strop from Heirloom Razor Strop based on my BnB research. Now I just need an SR razor, which is also inbound. Ordered the Latigo beginner strop on Friday, received it cross country on Monday. It is almost as nice as my Ferragamo dress belt and has very nice and shiny hardware. Picture taken in the garage out of sight of my hawk-eyes wife.

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Putting in some practice time on the Latigo is a good strategy. I’ve also adopted a strict need-to-know policy when it comes to my shaving endeavours.

 

[Legion]

Got my first strop from Heirloom Razor Strop based on my BnB research. Now I just need an SR razor, which is also inbound. Ordered the Latigo beginner strop on Friday, received it cross country on Monday. It is almost as nice as my Ferragamo dress belt and has very nice and shiny hardware. Picture taken in the garage out of sight of my hawk-eyes wife.

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My first hanging strop, many years ago, was a used TM latigo beginner. Served me well.

 

[Wid]

Just ordered. A 2.5x24 horse hide with barbers ends from TM. Pic from Tony

 

[silverlifter]

Just ordered. A 2.5x24 horse hide

Love my TM horse hide: the draw is absolutely perfect! Enjoy!

 

[Kyle89]

Love my TM horse hide: the draw is absolutely perfect! Enjoy!

Agreed. It's all I use nowadays.

 

[Wid]

The strop has arrived. Again, a piece of art. Love the bottom logo like the old vintage ones. Kudos to @Tony Miller for another job well done.

 

[Kyle89]

haha that's awesome that it's double stamped like that

 

[Wid]

haha that's awesome that it's double stamped like that

That's what I requested, I really like it.

 

[TheBeast]

1962 firehose, I got the strip of firehose from a seller on etsy, I don't know much about this but heard it is a good thing to have so I got it and I will try to use it and understand it's effect on my edges. Since 100% flax linen isn't manufactured anymore - according to my limited knowledge - I thought I might as Well buy it while I have the chance. Hope this seller prepped it correctly and it is ready for use. I dissasembled a chinese strop for hardware, got some Chicago screws and here is the strop ready for use. The leather is from another local hobby-ist making and selling leather strops - this is a cow hide, my first and of course, cut up. Together they make quite a Nice combo.

 

[ArtVandelay123]

I'm also a Tony Miller Horsehide user and find it my favourite strop and always reach for it.
Top notch quality, outstanding materials, well finished and a top notch guy.
My old TM horsehide has some years on it and it only gets better with use.
Imo, best strops in the bizz.

 

[Tanuki]

With 4 Heirloom strops (horse and steer, smooth and rough) I am still working on an excuse to own another.

Meanwhile, I was paddling the Volga, passing through Nizhni-Novgorod and snapped this up before they had a chance to send it overseas:

Special, extra-select... not perfect, maybe even 'well-used', but priced to go, quite usable, and outstanding graphics. Thor was handling embossing that day.

3/16" thick, just like my heaviest Russian strops.

What do they say? (In Cyrillic, of course.) "There is no other horse butt like a Russian horse butt, and no other Russian horse butt like a Niznhi-Novgorod horse butt." I understand that is quite mellifluous in Russian.

 

[ChriWilson]

I’m on 3 Tony Miller Heirloom sets myself with a bare Latigo as well.

Superb on both linen and cotton

 

[Tanuki]

More horse. "BRONCHO SHELL FINISH 600" in this case. $6.00 was the original price, embossed on the strop. I'm guessing that $6 put it in a premium bracket. They were avoiding embarrassing customers who might faint when they heard that price.

These photos are as found, no revival yet. It is in fine shape, has a nick-free surface, but is quite dry, per usual.

Interestingly, the 'canvas' component is diamond patterned embossed leather with dual 'grits'.

"FINISHED READY FOR USE"
"DUPLEX SELF-HONING LEATHERCANVAS"
I can only guess what this meant. The second component is entirely leather, no fabric mixed in or laminated on. Several of my vintage strops are embossed on the back of the lather component. I always assume the embossing was intended to help hold an abrasive compound. Is this strop insinuating that no compound is required? Or that a compound is pre-applied?

The shop where I found this seems to serve primarily as a senior center/chat group for both its isolated small town and any number of even smaller hamlets within a large radius.

While I was shooting the breeze on one of the stools at checkout, a quite ancient woman took the stool next to me. She then confessed that as a small child (1920s or early 1930s?) she had hidden her father's strop in the backyard in order to avoid a whipping.

Under swift interrogation (not me!) she refused to reveal her crime, given that her son (her driver) was present. Her son was easily in his 70s. From the ensuing general discussion it became clear that everyone in the shop primarily associated a strop (pronounced 'strap') with corporal punishment, an agreeably hilarious topic.

By the end I was saying 'strap' myself and promising to attempt to discipline my full-grown sons with my purchase, if they should happen to go astray.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Interestingly, the 'canvas' component is diamond patterned embossed leather with dual 'grits'.

I have my grandpa's strop packed away somewhere at the moment but I recall it having a similar deal, although I think it was stamped "Hone" or "Sharpen" and "Finish." One of those seemed like it was lightly treated with chrome ox.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

We did Christmas gifts with the family tonight due to schedules. I *might* have known this was coming, but I didn't peek.
Top notch workmanship by Tony as usual. The horsehide is really fast without feeling glassy. Perfect. And I love the subtle pattern. The linen feels nice too. Not as zippy as firehose but plenty of feedback.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

You will like the flax linen, not as aggressive as firehose, but more than cotton. Good for daily driving, 10 laps or so, then leather.

Nice strop. Enjoy.

 

[Honedright]

Just picked this up. Very similar to the device sometimes included with Heljestrand SE safety razors. In fact, I just learned about this type of strop only a few days ago and discovered that there are many variations, some with holders for straight razors, and others for single edge safety razor blades as is this one. I’m hoping that it’s as good as it looks and can’t wait to try it out on my SE wedge blades.