I recently had to travel and generally when I travel I take a DE (Fat Handle Tech) or a Schick type G. It's quick, easy and minimal fuss. I always check in my luggage so no hassles with security. This time, however, I decided to take two SRs with me. I brought a small board strop and my usual software. A couple of observations. I realize I am particular about my "sink setup". A different house, and I had to adjust my set up. Mild anxiety, but I adapted. On the plus side I have been using straights almost exclusively for the past couple of months, so traveling with SRs is like eating comfort food. I realize that I need to find a case for two SRs when I travel. I just wrapped the two I brought with me in paper towels and set them in the bottom of my Dopp bag. Stropping was easy. I wrapped my board strop in a towel and that seemed to work fine. I may invest in an inexpensive hanging travel strop. What are your experiences travelling with straights?
I've traveled with straights too. I took a hanging strop, and found it hard to find a place to hang it. If I had a leather string attached to the strop, I would have had more options for hanging it. I also took a couple of small squares of cloth, soaked in mineral oil, stored in a baggie. This was used to wipe the blades down after use. I've used this for trips up to two weeks, and could have used just one blade, but it's always good to have a spare.
On long trips I carry a little Boker 5/8ths and a Gillette New. My travel strop is a hanger that I made myself. It has no linen (I just use the suede side) and it has a lace attached to the swivel so that I can secure it to a tap. It rolls up into a tight package that fits snugly in my toilet bag. The old Gillette is there for situations where time is pressing, or when I just feel like using a DE. My other travel innovation is a Body Shop synthetic brush; while it's not my favourite brush it works quite nicely and dries with the flick of a wrist. Best Regards Graham
I travel with an @Drygulch strop with a leather strap that I hang from a door lever. I have a nice leather case for the straight. It all goes into my Dopp kit and works great.
I personally prefer shavettes when traveling. I've tried this Christmas to go with my straights instead...and have learned that I had the best idea to start with. No stropping, no honing, and a replacement blade for dull Razors. Also no worries about abusing my strop or my straight getting abused in my travel case. Granted I like the shave a straight gives versus a shavette. But I can survive.
Thankfully I don’t have to travel much for my job any longer. When I travel for personal reasons; I use a motor home, which has all the comforts of home. I have a hanging strop and a brush that reside in the RV. I only have to decide which two razors I’ll drag along.
I do like my straights when traveling also. Interesting comment about the sink setup... and I get that same mild anxiety. I found this Harley Davidson cigar case that I love for 2 razors. I just keep the cardboard insert in the middle slot. I leave the hanging strops at home and just use a cheap vintage paddle strop for travel... this Allegro. Love to hear/see what people are using.
Now if I had a 5th wheel...I could see it. And I have dreams of this sort of thing. But a mobile home for my straight razor? SWMBO probably won't go for it.
I have had this setup a long time, but haven’t used it much. I tend to use my Feather or IBC most often when I am at work. I have a cheap hanger I use. I hang it from the middle door hinge pin. Some are made so they stick up, otherwise I just drive the pin up a quarter inch or so. I keep the razors in silicon impregnated sleeves. The strop came from Roctraitor. You can find him on Reddit, or he has a store on Etsy. It is decent. Performance and price. The sleeves I got at Superior Shave.
For a strop I’ve used Whipped Dog’s poor man strop. It’s got a “tail” on it that forms a loop that notches with the strop so you can fix it to any doorknob easily. ...and you can’t beat the price.
I have an old poor mans 7 days set, it is mussing a blade so its 6 days without honing in a luttle box. An rvs knive and an old herold strop are also a handy solution.
If you can find them, the vintage double razor boxes are good. They're a little thicker than a toothbrush holder (but not much), and shorter. For a strop, a regular strop works for me, I lay it flat in a strop case or plastic sleve against a hard luggage case side for air travel, or just lay it in my car somewhere. The brush is a Tulip 1 or Tulip 2 in a ventilated pill bottle. Cheers, Steve
When I travel, it's my Feather SR folding. On one trip, I met a guy in the hotel lounge and we got on the subject of shaving. We both use straights and I asked him about taking strops with him. He told me to wait while he got his razor and strop. He came back, took out his razor and rolled up his sleeve. He proceeded to strop the razor on his forearm. He smiled, handed me the razor and told me to try shaving arm hair. Really popped the hair. He said, show me a strop with finer leather then your forearm? You never have to worry about leaving it at home. Been stropping that way for years.
I bought the poor man strop kit from WD years ago and got 2 of the cheap leather strops. I keep one hanging at home and the other is rolled up in my travel kit. Admittedly I’ve been more apt to grab the DE when on the road, but I’m trying to slow down and use the SRs more. For $10 (less if you get an ugly one) the poor man’s strop or the table style strop are great cheap travel companions that you won’t cry over damaging or forgetting in a hotel room.
