Hmmm. I wouldn't usually point out a difference between a strop and a strap beyond intended use. I have seen strops that are leather laminated onto the back of a whetstone, but most of them are straps. What are you using?

Naah. Straight razor

Holy Cow! I have enough trouble with the tops of my ears getting in the way of a "safety razor" when my eyes can only open half-way in the mornings...

I've never done the brush thing, but this King of Shaves menthol-based goop is jolly good.

You suppose the King of Town uses King of Shaves? He must.

- trs

I tried it (straight razors) just so I could say I had. It requires far too much skill and I drink far too much coffee. I've promised myself to let a professional do it though the next time I'm near a true old world barber shop. (meaning haircut, shave, manicure girl. Think The Sting. )

American Heritage Second College Edition (c)1976:

strop: n. A flexible strip of leather or canvas used for sharpening a razor. -tr.v. stropped, strop*ping, strops. To sharpen (a razor) on a strop. [ME stroppe, band of leather < MLG strop < Lat. Stoppus <Gk strophion]

Laminated on the back of a whetstone? Sounds like a pad to stop it from slipping around as opposed to something for sharpeining (or, more precisely, honing in the case of a strop). (/me ducks as Bitt goes for the Oxford Unabridged...)

One gets to use the word so infrequently; I just needed to take it out for a spin since the chance arose.

-Zeke

Rev-
I really was just kidding. There's no way I could handle something like that 1st thing in the AM. I also got one of these once, I found it quite pleasant, hot towel, lather and all.

-Zeke

Pardon me while I fetch the paper towel roll to get the wine droplets off the screen here...

See, it's not just me.

I know, you're just the most frequent.

I know, you're just the most frequent.

Sort of like Old Faithful?

/Michael

A flexible strip of leather or canvas used for sharpening a razor

"Having a strop" means losing your temper, here. I'm not sure whether it is just a Yorkshire expression, nor where it derives from.

I've promised myself to let a professional do it though the next time I'm near a true old world barber shop

Nothing in the world is better for a hangover than a cut throat shave, followed by talc and hot towels - I've not had one in 35 years. Your hand just slides down your face for hours after!

You know that chilly feeling you get in your mouth when you've just eaten an Extra Strong Mint and you breathe in? This is like that, only all over your face

First day of trying it: That really is the goods, thankyou for the tip!

I use that shaving oil. Its GREAT. No more dry itchy skin after cream, razor just glides along. Less slicing my face too as I can see what I'm doing.

At risk of being contentious, I propose my alternative - I use no shaving foam or any of that stuff as I find they irritate me, especially the ones for sensitive skin. So what I do is use a wet razor in the shower every morning, a Philishave trimmer every weekend to neaten up the edges of my goatee, and a Wahl trimmer every 2 weeks to take all the hair on my head down to a number 1.

Aside from the goatee trimming, I find it I do it all with my eyes shut - usually because I am either still asleep, or very , very hungover.

My Philishave is 11 years old now, and all I have had to do was replace the Nicads and resolder a couple of connections damaged by dropping it so it's a good reliable name!

Can't see anything contentious in that!

Contentious is: Is that shower you refer to standing outdoors, following our previous communication*, I spent a whole week looking at rain through my windscreen in your part of the world a fortnight back.

I understand your scientific community have got the midge problem solved, can you get to grips with the water problem?



But it's still one of my favourite places.

*Sorry, that may have been O'Hare.

Ha ha - the weather...hmmmm. Well this year has been a bit of a freak. So far we have had more good weather in central Scotland than most of the rest of the UK. But I have to admit that I tend to think it is pretty dry here, as I grew up in Orkney, which does 'wet and windy' in a big way. It was much warmer up there, though, as the North Atlantic Drift kept the sea warm enough to go surfing all year round.

Best way to deal with the rain in Scotland is to wear shorts and a t-shirt. You dry much quicker that way. And when it is raining, there are no evil biting flying creatures around, which is nice.

Did you go anywhere nice? Was it a business or pleasure trip?

Pleasure Trip, it's the fourth time we've been and easily the wettest. We got up to Loch Lomond, then Oban, Newtonmore, Braemar, Stirling and Montrose - we nip around in the motorhome, with the dogs - a lovely part of the world.