Chipping Away strop, any opinion?

[Samovar]

I'm new to straight shaving and I dropped to a local store specialized in fine wood working to have a look at the honing stone and I bought this paddle strop sold for 13$ CA
http://www.chippingaway.com/WoodCarving/SharpeningTools/LeatherStropsandCompounds.htm

Has anybody ever used such a strop. It has a regular leather side and a fuzzy one with some kind a red compound.

I should get an Illinois strop any time soon, should I keep using this strop?

[Thebigspendur]

That strop is designed for use on carving tools not straights. Depending on the leather it may or not work however red polishing rouge is not really for a straight. Most use green CrO or Diamond Paste. Usually red rouge is for very soft metals. However when you get it just examine it and if the leather is smooth and soft it won't harm the razor and the pasted side won't harm it either so you can experiment.

[Bruce]

I agree with the big guy. This size paddle strop is about the same size as the Thiers Issard travel strop. Hopefully you can experiment on a not not so dear razor with the red compound. If it is very finely divided jewelers rouge or iron oxide, it should work fine on a razor. Any abrasive material larger than about 1 to 3 microns will probably be counter productive in enhancing or polishing an edge. Most paddle strops used with an abrasive are, like mentioned above, often charged with chromium oxide or diamond, with a particle size of about 1/2 micron.

Good luck,