Some memories take me into my youth.
Thinking about the local barbershop were my dad took me to get a "Flat Top" or what was called a "Crue Cut".
Both very popular and simple styles in the late 60's. Everyone had one or the other in my home town.
The place that my dad took me was my Grandfather's barber shop.
He was a Barber by trade and seeing as how my dad had married the "Barber's" daughter, it was logical that he would take me there for my haircuts.
An odd memory comes out of being there. My Grandfather used to use a straight razor for giving a shave and before every shave he had this long black leather strop that he would use. One hung from each chair.
He would take that razor, pull the strop tight, and strop away back and forth for about ten strokes.
Those razors must have been sharp after he got done with them.
I have looked for a strop like the ones he used but they just don't exist.
What I have found is that you can make your own strop with some polishing compound and almost any flat surface.
(a wooden board, a piece of MDF or particle board, a sheet of glass, your jeans, a strip of cardboard, an Armani suit jacket sleeve)
Almost anything can be used as a strop if you charge it with a polishing compound.
It might not be quite as good as my Grandfather's strops but it will be good enough.
If your knife is up to the challenge, you can even shave with it once you are done.
