If you enjoy spending a lot more money than you need to, or if you are too lazy to make one cut and spread some glue, then pre-made strops are the way to go. When you take them out of the box they are ready to use.
Should you be interested in saving a LOT of money, but able to spend 10 minutes making your own strop, either order a 12"x12" piece of tooling veg-tanned cowhide leather from any of the knife supply companies or Tandy Leather, and cut it down into four strips 3"x12", pick up some scrap 3" lumber (usually free) at your local home center, some ordinary white glue or contact cement, and glue the strips down. You'll then have four strops (so you can use three different grits of compound if desired, and leave on bare leather strop to finish on,) for less than you paid for one pre-made strop. Unless you are buying a hanging barber's strop, the ones you make yourself will be every bit as effective as the ones you can buy. There are plenty of videos on YouTube showing just how to do this, but it is so simple that a video isn't really needed. Flat wood (not insanely flat.. Use what comes from the home center as is.) Smooth side up leather. Glue it down. Trim the edges. Rub on a 'little' compound. Bob's your uncle.
If you do a little woodworking to the backing lumber, they will be just as pretty. And you'll have four strops for less than the cost of one pre-made strop.
Frankly, the angle DOES matter when stropping. And it matters a lot. Read the 'stickies' at the top of the page for some excellent instruction in strop use. It isn't difficult to strop correctly. In fact, easier than sharpening. But it's also easy to do it wrong if you don't pay attention to some of the details.
Stitchawl
