leather Strops come in three main types. The cheapest and most common version is the hanging strop. These are made of a single piece of leather, fitted with a swivel hook at one end used to secure the strop to a fixed point, and a handle so that the strop can be held taut during stropping. We stock these in 2 sizes, a standard strop and the extra wide hanging strop which is wide enough to take the entire width of the blade when stropping. There are also versions of the standard leather strop which have a canvas or cotton backing. This can either be used to clean the blade after shaving or to take a paste.
Using a narrower strop means you have to use an “X” pattern Leather strops the razor. Doing this as well as keeping the strop at the correct tension can prove to be tricky for the beginner so we usually recommend a paddle strop at least to start with. While slightly more expensive than the traditional hanging strop, it is easy to use and, while rigid, they are normally hollowed out to provide some “give”. Using a wider version which accommodates the entire edge of the razor also makes stropping easier.
A more unusual option is the loom strop. This is similar to a paddle strop and has a piece of leather which runs around a wooden frame. With better loom strops the tension of the leather can be adjusted.
