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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

The "Little Stropper" Is Coming To Town!

Another of those "looks" from the wife again.

Those of you gentlemen who are married or have similar long-term entanglements, are familiar with the glare that only people together for many years can share. In my case, this particular look is reserved for those days when the postman brings another brown box to our doorstep.  She knows that it is even money that the box contains some manner of sharpening device - a hone, a strop, stropping paste, hard wool felt, strop conditioner, balsa wool (yes, you can sharpen on this too), a slurry stone, diamond spray or something even more exotic.   And it's always the same question: "Aren't those damn razors sharp enough for you yet?"  My stock answer, "not if I can get an even BETTER shave out of them." It never seems to satisfy her.

If you are a true connoisseur of the straight razor shave, you understand exactly what I'm talking about.  You also probably know that it isn't all that difficult to get a hair-cutting edge on your razor - this can be done with honing stones (although the cost of purchasing all of the required hones can be prohibitive for the average gentleman.  But a sharp edge doesn't guarantee you a comfortable shave - for that you need to properly strop your razor.  To most people, a strop is just a leather strap hanging in their bathrooms; from a hook, towel bar, or whatever else is handy.  But there is more to stropping than running your razor over that piece of hanging leather.  And it was from this simple idea that Little Stropper was born.  Little Stropper products:
  • Ensure you get a closer, more comfortable shave;
  • Travel wherever you can take a straight razor - no hooks or towel bars required;
  • Extend the life of your razor.  This means longer intervals between trips to the "honemeister;"
  • Have been designed by me for my own personal use, and have also been put to the test making hundreds of razors shave-ready for our customers all over the world;
All Little Stropper products are completely made or finished BY HAND right here in Pennsylvania.  For the time being, I am handling the manufacture and finishing myself to ensure that they meet my personal specifications.  These items will be numbered and signed by me. 

Little Stropper is an exclusive brand of Vintage Shaving Shoppe, LLC.  We will not be selling Little Stropper products anywhere except from our dedicated website, littlestropper.com, or from vintageshavingshoppe.com.   The dedicated website is already up and running.  However, products are not yet available for sale there yet, but you can expect them to be available in the next week or two.  You can check the littlestropper.com  website periodically.  You will also be notified automatically when products are available if you are a Follower on our blog or a Fan on our Facebook page.

I am very excited about our Little Stropper product line because I know that every one of our products will bring you a closer, more convenient and more enjoyable shaving experience.  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at assistance@vintageshavingshoppe.com.

Here is a "sneak preview" of two of our products...

The StropBrick: A hefty chunk of solid wood (Rosewood, in this photo) with three 6" stropping surfaces - one plain strip of bridle leather a shade over 1" wide, and two bridle leather strips 5/8" wide each treated with with a lightly abrasive stropping paste.  It is perfect for traveling or simply keeping on the bathroom shelf. It's always ready to use and each one is a work of art.  Clear rubber "feet" keep the StropBrick level and secure if you wish to use it on a hard surface.  Personally, I prefer to hold it in my hand.





The StropBox: If you travel, or if you are simply short on space for your shaving items, you will appreciate this ingenious tonsorial item.  Part high-quality vegetable-tanned leather strop and part storage case, the StropBox will keep your cutting edge smooth and provide storage for your favorite razor and anything else you can fit inside.  A sliding panel secures the contents.  I always grab my StropBox whenever I travel overnight and keep a tube of strop paste and a small barber's hone inside. Since the sliding panel is practically invisible, it is also a great place to keep some extra cash, jewelry, etc. on your trip.The StropBox is 100% solid wood (not plywood or pressboard) which has been hand-stained and features two coats of polyurethane on the external wood surfaces to water resistance and durability.  The stropping surface is a generous 8 1/4" long by 2 1/2" wide with leather hand-selected to have the smoothness and "draw" needed to tame the edge of your razor.  You may use stropping paste with your StropBox or we can paste it for you for a small additional charge.





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