Beginner straight user: start with the Westholme, or practice on the cheap?

[acoltismypassport]

Evening all.

Still in my DE phase at the moment, though making serious moves to getting my first straight in the next few weeks. Slowly gathering the necessary equipment, what is good, what is available, and most importantly - what I want!

I managed by dumb luck to acquire a cordovan Westholme strop from an ex-barber who closed shop (this is to say nothing of the Thuringian blue stone I got for just as little.) 15 USD or so, along with a 'cheap' strop I picked up on the advice I may mess up in terms of technique to begin with. Other sources say just to have at it, as nobody is perfect all of the time.

Obviously, the quality is immediately apparent when handling both of them. By some considerable stretch, too.

Do I practice on the Chinesium strap, or do I just go right ahead on the good stuff? If people want pictures, I'm more than happy to take a few.

 

[Tomo]

Westholmes are very nice strops and currently out of production. I would practice with the cheap one but ultimately it’s your stuff and your choice.

 

[rhgg2]

It took me about 18 months to stop cutting up my strop. I would wait until you haven't cut up a strop for six months, before using a nice one. Buy the bits (eg from McMaster-Carr) and make your own in the meantime, it's not hard at all, you just need some leather, a D-ring, a swivel snap, and six Chicago screws.

 

[Stapelfeld]

My initial advice would we to start with the cheap strop until you stop cutting it up. If you cut a cheap strop you can buy a new one or you can sand it depending on the cut and then recondition it with some oil. But yeah I would start cheap and use the good stuff with a lot of care

 

[helicopter]

Get a Fromm Illinois 127 for $40 on ebay and learn on that.

 

[Chmura]

Just put this strop on the edge of the table or countertop and work slowly, everything will be fine

 

[acoltismypassport]

Many thanks to all who contributed.

Looks like I'll be learning on the cheap one. It's a 'Sharp's' strop, though I can't find much information on-line about it.

I have an eye-hook/anchor already mounted on the bathroom cabinet, so we're we'll prepared in that sense (note to self: be VERY careful with brass screws.)

Regarding the Westholme: I only learned recently that the chap who made them went dark/no longer produces them as of a few years ago. Makes it all that more special!