Razor Strop

Ultimate Equipment Guide II

Author Greg Lynch, J. C. Alvarez

Publisher Mongoose Publishing
Publish date 2005

Skilled as he is with carpentry and razorwork, Madrion disdains the use of whetstones, preferring to sharpen his blades with a leather strop. Whetstones, he explains to his customers, grind down the edge of the blade far too quickly, eventually rendering it useless.

Through some experimentation and consultation a leather strop that not only sharpens blades better and faster than a whetstone, but also leaves them with an edge so keen it is almost magically sharp. Accordingly, he changed the name of these alchemically enhanced items from leather strop to razor strop. A simple, unaltered leather strop can be had for the cost of one silver piece.

Any blade sharpened with one of the razor strops will achieve an edge exceeding its owner’s expectations, conferring upon the blade a temporary +1 bonus to all attack rolls. This bonus lasts for about a single day of normal use, until the exceptional edge granted by the razor strop is worn down again. Sharpening a short blade, such as a
dagger or knife, takes half an hour. Sharpening a longer blade, such as a longsword, takes a full hour, while the owner of a greatsword must spend two hours working with the razor strop.

After ten such sharpenings, the razor strop is too worn down by use to continue to confer its bonus upon a blade. However, it remains useful for normal blade maintenance as a leather strop.

Razor Strop: 200 gp; 1 lb.