Russian Leather?

I picked up a vintage E M Mfg Co. (who ever that is?) Russian leather strop. No linen just one side has a small checkered diamond pattern (red, I take it you don't use this side?) and the other is ultra pressed smooth (was until I had to pumice out a couple scratches. can I get the old finish back?).

What kind of leather is ["Russian Leather"] it (cow, horse, pig, George Hamilton)?

Probably horse or maybe cow, treated with a special birch bark tanning process.

I looked up that little diddy about the tanning process. Thank's for the info.

On Hand American's site they have some info about these.

http://www.handamerican.com/leatherinfo.html#Diamond%20Cut%20(Russian%20Style)



So I take it the back of this strop (one side (front?) is brown with logos, the back is red with a diamond cut) is the sharpen side and the brown is the finish? It looks like the red side was never used. :shrug:

I just tried it and the red diamond side has a real nice draw.