Just 1 Strop

Hi everybody,
I'm on something of a budget and trying to keep things simple. The strops  I've been looking at run from $35 up to $94 with choices at 45 and $65 all by good makers you've heard of. So if you could only have one strop would you pick one with linen secondary or cotton secondary? And who would you buy from?
Thank you in advance. photo of strop I saw in an antique shop.

I'm far from an experienced SR shaver, now at about 100 shaves in, but I would definitely say linen for a secondary surface. As far as the strop itself, it's a bit of a conundrum. If you're not careful, it's very easy to get little nicks in the strop, so that would argue against getting a premium strop. However, a good strop is a pleasure to use. Whichever you get, I would recommend a 3" strop so you don't HAVE to do 'x strokes' to strop the entire edge. I've bought an English Bridle Premium from Straight Razor Designs, and I've found it a pleasure to use, although it's a bit pricey if you're on a budget, but it will last a very long time and they sell replacement leathers for it as well.

It really depends on what you are looking for. Here are some good options:

* Whipped Dog poor man's strop
* Illinois strop company
* Tony Miller strops (his regular ones are excellent for the price and he also offers a few at a very inexpensive price, which he refers to as starter strops, although I have not tried these)

Good luck.

All above mentioned are good choice. I second tony miller strops. Been using for years and and been treating me well. Get a "plane vanilla or plain chocolate" and you money will be will spent

http://shop.thewellshavedgentleman.com

I started with an SRD 3" Latigo strop with its standard secondary just under two years ago. The price was right (~$60 plus shipping) and I liked the ability to replace the leather, since I expected to nick it up (which I did!) I finally got tired of the nicked leather and asked around for replacement suggestions. Interestingly, the majority opinion was that it's largely personal preference. In other words, it really didn't seem to matter which material(s) were being used. So in the end, I bought SRD's Roo replacement leather at $50.00 (much thinner leather with a very light, fast draw. Does a great job.)

I've heard the SRD strops are really good for the price and look to be in your price range. I was going to buy one myself but then got a deal on a Kanayama strop from a friend.

If you haven't learned to strop yet, then I really like the whipped dog entry level. It works and you'll likely cut it up.

Once past the learning curve, I recommend getting a nicer strop than you are considering if you are committed to straight razor shaving for the long haul.

I'm a really big fan of Straight Razor Designs. I have the English Bridle Leather strop and couldn't be happier with it.

Regarding the second piece, I went with the nylon webbing. While not one of the traditional materials, it works very, very well. It's also less expensive.

Here are links to good articles. The second article reviews the whole line of strops from Straight Razor Designs.

http://www.straightrazormagazine.com/201...tural.html

http://www.straightrazormagazine.com/201...-full.html