my "free" strop project

It's not in the budget to buy a strop right now (I wasn't supposed to buy the straight but...), so I have been putting together something to use in the mean time with stuff I already have. I had some wood rectangles that were supposed to become canvases, some cotton canvas fabric and some Super absorbent kitchen towels.

I sanded the wood, cut out fabric pieces to fit and then used rubber cement to glue them down and let dry over night pressed under a book. It isn't the prettiest thing but hopefully it will do the job for now. Hubby entered the Straight Razor PIF that is going on, maybe he will win and I can steal his strops

The Dimensions are 3.5" x 10.5". I have another board with the same dimensions, I will amke another just like this to use pastes/sprays on, when I get some

I got the idea about the kitchen towel from a thread at SRP about ShamWOW! being used as a strop. I had seen a shamwow once and the material of the towels I had seemed to be the same, a thick compressed non woven syntheic fabric. He told me he had been maintaining his 5 blade rotation for a couple months now with just this and occasionally using leather. I think he was using his without attaching it to a support just made a long strop. He was checking his results under magnification as well as getting good shaves.

After my first shave, I tried stropping. After a few passes everything started to look very shiny again. I guess thats good right?

Is it possible to strop too much? I am still going slowly because I am trying to learn the motion, but then my OCD kicks in and I get mezmerized by the repetition.

some have said too slow might not be effective... but practice at slow&steady and move on up to quicker speed as comfortable.

i wonder if the other poster was using a psate or spray? i have also heard hard felt does minimal alone.

but I am no strop guru, my comments are only hearsay for me...

Should work

Yesterdays newspaper, a phone book or the back of a legal pad is also valid options in a pinch.

I've had good results with a Trader Joe's branded kitchen towel, which is the same stuff as a shamwow. You can even paste it with toothpaste to make it quicker. I go from a barber hone to the pasted side, then the plain side and finish on newspaper. It takes lots of laps but you can get a real mirror polish on your edge for zero outlay (I already had the kitchen towel - and the toothpaste). I've got a pair of jeans that are about ready to blow out at the knees so when that happens I think I'll use one of the legs and make a 'linen' strop from that!

Thanx for the tip. I hope this helps the other apprehensive newbies out there. Just get a straight, rig your self up a strop and try it out!

MissJames, don't forget to PM your address to me so I can send your Cella/Feathe AS Balm PIF. Hope you know you're a winner.