Thread: Old Dog Strops

Does anyone have one of the Old Dog strops from HandAmerican and care to share their experiences with it? Are they worth the pricetag?

I have two older versions of Old Dog. One Black Bridal and one Red Latigo leather. Both were double leather one being smooth and the other with a diamond cut". (for increased drag).

They are top notch. The hardware is especially spectacular.

I am very dissapointed that the new versions do not have different leather options. The Black Bridal leather is really substantial/heavy and it has a very strong draw. Why are not more people encouraging this wonderful leather.

This is one thing I hope Kieth reconsiders in the future. He is a great fellow and perhaps he might make custom changes upon request. I don't know.

I am currently considering both Tony Miller and Kieth's strops BUT both do not have all the options I am seeking.

I think quite highly of both Kieth and Tony as they have both been very receptive and responsive for my inquiries.

That 24 carat gold imprint is really nice!

Mike B

Pardon me for straying from the cost issue. mb

If I remember correctly, the Old Dog strops were very competitively priced a while ago, at around 35$ or so???

hmm, might be my bad, I'm not sure...

Nenad

Well, it seems to me that Keith thinks he has made the ultimate super-strop. In an email he wrote "The horse leathers that we use are processed to our specs and are superior to any other leathers found on planet earth." and HandAmerican seems to have pretty much exclusive rights to make strops with the cordovan-type? leather produced from the Horween Company (the only company still making the stuff).

On SRP, it was said that cordovan leather comes from the butt-cheeks of the horse so I asked Keith if the old dogs were cordovan. His reply, "Cordovan is not a leather, it's a processing technique developed in Cordoba, Spain" He added, "the leather is from the butt area, but not the shell. Shell goes through further processing to become the worlds finest shoe leather, the processing that takes place makes the leather glass like and therefore useless for honing."

So it seems that if horsehide is touted as being the best leather for making strops, Keith has the "creme de la creme" of horsehide.

Take a look here: http://www.handamerican.com/odcare.html You won't see me scrunching my TM horsehide like that! It just really seems like nice stuff which is why I ask if anyone has the new strop.

Tis pricey though... they range from $115 - $145

Sorry Kieth but thats just ridiculous. To much $$$. I know its good leather. I know its rare. I know your workmanship is top notch. That said, I'd look elsewhere at least until there are some "normal" leathers going for reasonable prices in the Old Dog line again.

Wasn't water buffalo mentioned as a possible choice few updates ago on Hand American?

I must admit that I have made a hit almost once a day watching for the site to be up over many many months. A later update post mentioned that "Old Dog " might be a limited run due to the production level needed.

The name "Old Dog" is a very catchy name. I really hope Hand American embraces and continues the product with varieties.

My personal opinion I would like to see:
1. Several leather options
2. Linen option

I am currently waivering as Tony Miller's Paragon with Black Latigo handle is very sharp. My dream strop would be a a Black Latigo Paragon 3"x24" with a gold logo just like that "Old English" font 24 carat gold Hand American but with a custom gold family crest or something at the top.

Once again ..I really appreciate the quick email responses and from both Keith and Tony in the past year. I've spoken to Keith several times over a year ago with Keith as he gave suggestions and information on my order.

Yeah, I recall the Old Dog strops being listed as around 20 bucks or so, hardware not included. I was really disappointed when the site came up and found the new strops to be about $100 more than what I could afford. Especially when the older versions had so many compliments!

Originally Posted by superfly

If I remember correctly, the Old Dog strops were very competitively priced a while ago, at around 35$ or so???

hmm, might be my bad, I'm not sure...

Nenad

I also remember the price being in that range.

Anyone interested in buying one of the old-line Old Dog strops can contact me. I have a beautiful 3" latigo that I am thinking of selling. Keith made it custom for me before he started doing 3-inch strops. He also did it extra long. It's a double strop, one side is latigo and the other is diamond-cut. The craftmanship is impeccable.

I am considering selling it because I got a narrow vintage strop (~2 inches) that I find I prefer because it's easier to X on it. And my wife is giving me a hard time about the accumulation of extra razor accessories. She has a point.

I haven't yet posted anything on the Buy/Sell forum but probably will soon. In the meantime anyone interested can PM me. I would be asking what I paid Keith for it, which was around forty bucks.

Originally Posted by dylandog

Anyone interested in buying one of the old-line Old Dog strops can contact me. I have a beautiful 3" latigo that I am thinking of selling. Keith made it custom for me before he started doing 3-inch strops. He also did it extra long. It's a double strop, one side is latigo and the other is diamond-cut. The craftmanship is impeccable.

I am considering selling it because I got a narrow vintage strop (~2 inches) that I find I prefer because it's easier to X on it. And my wife is giving me a hard time about the accumulation of extra razor accessories. She has a point.

I haven't yet posted anything on the Buy/Sell forum but probably will soon. In the meantime anyone interested can PM me. I would be asking what I paid Keith for it, which was around forty bucks.

Dylandog... you have PM!