Thread: Strops: Would any piece of leather do?

So I am looking at the prices of strops and am blown away at how pricey they can be. I live close to several leather businesses where I can buy scrap leather from for very cheap. Would any strop sized piece of leather do or do I need a special kind of leather?

Actually you can buy a ready made strop for not that much if you stay away from the fancy stuff.

The type of leather is not that important but what is, is to be able to get the proper dimension and a real quality piece without fat marks and wrinkles and imperfections and really uniform whether you go with ultra smooth or knappy type which some prefer.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Actually you can buy a ready made strop for not that much if you stay away from the fancy stuff.

The type of leather is not that important but what is, is to be able to get the proper dimension and a real quality piece without fat marks and wrinkles and imperfections and really uniform whether you go with ultra smooth or knappy type which some prefer.

Ebay? or....? The new ones seem to be pricey. These leather stores are selling scrap leather for 3.25 per lb.

This one is fairly inexpensive and Kenrup is a member here and is a real pro to deal with.

RupRazor - The Filly

Originally Posted by aroliver59

This one is fairly inexpensive and Kenrup is a member here and is a real pro to deal with.

RupRazor - The Filly

Wow $20 is a good deal, I may be ordering one soon!

The $20 strop is a better bet than a bundle of scrap. The scrap bundles are usually pieces that are deemed "unsuitable" and usually contain the edges of hides, brands, scars, uneven thickness, etc. While the scrap bundles are wonderful for some projects, the chances of any given bundle containing a strip suitable for a strop would be iffy at best.

Originally Posted by BYUTexan

Wow $20 is a good deal, I may be ordering one soon!

I picked up a filly last week. Shipping is free, and the rough side comes with paste for touch ups. I'm new to all this, and the filly was definitely the way to go.

I've never used a piece of leather that wasn't default made as a strop. OTOH, I have about a dozen of them. I guess I was suffering from strop acquisition disorder for awhile. Most of these are vintage strops from Koken, C-Mon, Red Imp, Wester Bros, Dubl Duck, Craftsman and others. I also have recent production from Hand American, Straight Razor Designs and of course Tony Miller. All I can say is that they aren't all the same but they are all good. So far for my particular taste the favorite and the one that I seem to use most of the time is the SRD Premium 1 and that is because it happens to have the perfect draw (resistance) for my personal taste.

Considering many "old world" barbers did and some still do used the palm of their hand to strop their razors, you can strop with a variety of materials. I have heard tell of stropping on a truck tire. Scrap leather is often that, just scrap, wastage or not suitable for current projects. I have a approximately 20% wastage on cowhide and about 30% on horsehide. I cut my own lace from for the lanyards on my strops from the wastage. One master leather craftsmen tell me, "there is no such thing as scrap, it's leather you just haven't found a project for." If you can find a strip of leather that is the right dimensions for a strop, it should work. What stropping basically does is straighten out the edge. So whatever material you get to do that to the degree that you want it, it's a strop. Somehow, I don't see a strip of old truck tire hanging in my bathroom.

Originally Posted by Kenrup

One master leather craftsmen tell me, "there is no such thing as scrap, it's leather you just haven't found a project for."

I agree! While the scrap may not be good for strops no piece of leather is every too small to use for something. What I can't use for strops due to size becomes paddle leather or if large enough, but not quite good enough it becomes practice strops. The remainder, and there is lots goes to a give away bin at my local Tandy (one of their employees help me assemble strops on occasion) or to some little Amish boys to make small projects out of. Their dad is a harness maker and he teaches them using my old horsehide scraps. Yesterday the boys were trying to repair what was left of an old saddle. They wanted a new one, which their dad makes but as he told them..."there is such a thing as making your own". Now they have a good summer project!

As for the strop leather, skip the scrap bundle and buy one of Ken's Filly strops. I hear good things about them and you know you have something that will work and that was hand made.

Tony