Thread: Is Leather, just Leather?

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Absolutly true,just depends on how deep your pockets are and do you want a one of a kind item.
The OPs question was about the performance of Differant leathers,other than how they feel,most all quality strops will do the same thing,Strop your Razor.

Yes, they all do the same thing strop your razor but they all do not all feel the same while you are stropping at least to me. If you or anyone else with deep pockets can buy it then there is a slim chance you are getting one of a kind. The opposite view is that anything made is a one of a kind as there are inevitably variations item to item in production be it machine or hand made.

Bob

Originally Posted by Whipstitch

...snip...
Edit: just saw the post above that says they all cut the same. Maybe I shouldn't waste the good stuff.

Over the course of time most of us decide, or bumble along, to stop at a given point of acquisitions.
That said, after a while many of us will upgrade certain items of shaving paraphernalia.
The quality of of shaves have improved due to practice and so has the life of our razor edges. Some guys stop there with a couple very good razors and a strop they trust.
Some will upgrade from the practice strop because it looks, acts, works, or SWMBO likes nice stuff in the necessary room, and we have learned a proper stropping motion so we won't cut a fancy strop.
All a matter of what our real?? reason is for straight razor wet shaving!
YMMV
~Richard

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Get some steroids Jim,you might get up to 26 mph

Lance (and everyone else winning anything at that time) was mainly using EPO.

Originally Posted by Whipstitch

Edit: just saw the post above that says they all cut the same. Maybe I shouldn't waste the good stuff.

It isn't so much cutting the strop IME , as it is nicking it on the edge. Little divots here and there. With me it was always on the side close to my body, just ahead of my handhold. Took awhile for me to coordinate my stroke to where I don't do that anymore 99% of the time. So starting out with a piece that won't break your heart if it gets nicked up might be a good idea ....... if that kind of thing breaks your heart ...... if you don't care one way or the other, well that is another thing.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

It isn't so much cutting the strop IME , as it is nicking it on the edge. Little divots here and there. With me it was always on the side close to my body, just ahead of my handhold. Took awhile for me to coordinate my stroke to where I don't do that anymore 99% of the time. So starting out with a piece that won't break your heart if it gets nicked up might be a good idea ....... if that kind of thing breaks your heart ...... if you don't care one way or the other, well that is another thing.

Just a point I learned the hard way...
When a razor is honed, there are some grinds which will develop a sharp shoulder or the toe end of the spine will become sharp and those easily overlooked faults will quickly ruin the edges of, or scratch, a strop.
Too late wise!
~Richard

Originally Posted by Whipstitch

Brand new to shaving with a straight and stropping straight razors. I strop my leather cutting knives on regular vegetable tanned leather, so I'm thinking I'll just make my razor strop from that. Any reason not to? I have a bunch of Horween chromexcel horsefront which is probably ideal, but it's expensive and I'd like to keep any nice leather for my products (not that I couldn't spare it if it actually matters). Any input?

Edit: just saw the post above that says they all cut the same. Maybe I shouldn't waste the good stuff.

Sounds like a good plan to me. When you get good at stropping and rarely if ever nick your strop that might be the time to consider the Horween leather. Only if you want to feel the difference.

Bob

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

It isn't so much cutting the strop IME , as it is nicking it on the edge. Little divots here and there. With me it was always on the side close to my body, just ahead of my handhold. Took awhile for me to coordinate my stroke to where I don't do that anymore 99% of the time. So starting out with a piece that won't break your heart if it gets nicked up might be a good idea ....... if that kind of thing breaks your heart ...... if you don't care one way or the other, well that is another thing.

I have the exact same issue. I use the modular strop from SRD and just flipped the leather around. Figure it should last me a few more years

I found that leather is leather to a point. I use a Star shaving strop. neats feeted it to death, well hydrated lets say. It strops just as good as my $300 strop. I was duped with a Pakistan leather strop. That leather wasnt finished correctly was closer to suede. I live near a Tandy leather shop and they have rolls of leather that are well finished and vegetable dyed. I may well buy a few yards of the same thickness and just use my current strop as a template and cut some out, give it a go pass some out and see what the community thinks.
Or make up a BS story about feeding my own cows organic 4 leaf clover for 5 years ,Tanned them myself and charge some stupid outrageous amount.
Stay tuned

A nice, hand-crafted strop is much like an upper-end razor. A real pleasure to use. JMO

Originally Posted by ultrasoundguy2003

I found that leather is leather to a point. I use a Star shaving strop. neats feeted it to death, well hydrated lets say. It strops just as good as my $300 strop.

Is it recommended somewhere to heavily apply neatsfoot oil to strops? In my experience, applying too much will ruin an otherwise good piece of leather real quick