Leather canvas

I recently bought a strop at a local antique shop. Can't find any info on it anywhere. Nor am I expecting you guys to know about them. It is a Todco keen edge strop. The different thing about this strop is that I have never seen a leather canvas side in place of the traditional linen. It basically looks like textured leather. My questions are is the leather canvas just as good as the linen? Is there a reason why its black? Could black be just a dye or do you think it is impregnated with a abrasive paste of some sort? I have used it and I think it works better than my illinois (but my illinois has seen better days, it was given to me by my barber). Any thoughts? Don't you wish they were still that price.

http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/3040/m002crp1.jpg
http://img250.imageshack.us/img250/5283/m004ckb5.jpg
http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/607/m005cul7.jpg
http://img453.imageshack.us/img453/3339/m007cmu8.jpg
http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/2244/m009cqt2.jpg

I'll take a guess from the photos that the leather is embossed with a linen type texture much like the X patterns on older Russian process strops.

Applying red or black abrasive paste was not unusual on old, dual leather, "Sharpen/Finish" strops.


Tony

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tony Miller

Applying red or black abrasive paste was not unusual on old, dual leather, "Sharpen/Finish" strops.
Tony

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So it would not be a good idea to use the canvas side as part of a daily strop since it would be cutting each time instead of realigning?

Correct. I'd say use the "sharpening side" no more than once a week. I don't have one of these types of strops, though, so take my comment with that in mind. Ultimately, you'll have to experiment, and find the best application for you.