Thread: Horsehide vs. Latigo?

OK, so Tony is tempting me with his dual Latigo/horsehide strops.

Can someone (or even Tony!) answer some questions for me:

Can you describe the stropping differences between the latigo and the horsehide?

One has more draw than the other?

Which do you start with, and which do you use to finish?

Should Tony offer a triple latigo/horsehide/cavas strop?

How am I going to pay for all of this?

And most importantly--How will I hide it from my wife?!

Beautiful work Tony!

As I understand it, Latigo is a dyed, treated cow hide and horse hide is, well, horse hide, which is a finer texture than cow hide.

But I'm not an expert just a spectator.

You can't hide a hanging strop from the wife. Just take your tongue lashing like a man - I did and survived. Wasn't pretty though.

I can't even hide a strop from my wife! I've got a bathroom wall full of them and if even one new version gets hung up she makes a little joke about the strops breeding in the bathroom <g>.

Okay, the Latigo, as mentioned in a veg/bark tanned cowhide that has been treated with oils and waxes. Each tannery has their own method and each results in a different finish and feel. If any of you own one of mine with handles you may be surprised to find that the handles too are technically a latigo but with that smooth, zero friction surface would be useless for stropping. Still a latigo though. So, any general comments about x being better than y when comparing any leathers, needs to taken with a grain of salt as each cowhide and each latigo tanning process is different so it will depend on which tannery any given maker chooses..

Horsehide though, if USA sourced only comes from one tannery so will for the most part be the same. Each hide will vary in texture, ....smooth, slightly rough, etc...but veg/bark tanned will be veg/bark tanned alike.

So, on mine anyway the latigo to me is still the most versatile material. Light draw at first, increasing slightly with use. Neat's foot oil can slightly increase draw, more Neat's Foot Oil can soften it for those wanting a supple strop. I leave my own alone though.
My horsehide strops from last year are all top grain with the skin one. Quite smooth and more finishing than general purpose strops. Most new ones are "hand finished" which for me is a buffing process I do to the strop leather before assembly that gives it a napp much like on a Dovo or Jemico strop. This adds considerable draw to it. I think Kenrup does something similar too.

If buying a single strop choose Latigo or buffed "Hand Finished" horsehide, if buying a dual maybe the top grain version would give more versatility as you would have a higher draw latigo to use, followed by a smoother horsehide after. Getting the horsehide buffed would result in both being somewhat similar.

When I used to sell Illinois strops I used the #827 (rough) followed by the #127 (smooth) to get the same results. I think Keith also did a dual leather with different textures, smooth/scrubbed to get the same variations.

I myself like a smooth feeling strop for lighter razors and a high draw strop for heavy razors as I feel I have better control over the stropping motion. This has nothing to do with the resulting edge, just how it feels in use. A heavy razor seems to just skitter across a really slick strop even though the edge is improving.

Much of this may apply with stones too. even in similar grits some just have a different feel in use that may help or hinder your use of them.

Tony

louee, et al,

Shouldn't one be able to get one new strop for every pair of the wife's new shoes? Leather here for leather there, tit for tat?

Great info Tony!

Originally Posted by Bruce

louee, et al,

Shouldn't one be able to get one new strop for every pair of the wife's new shoes? Leather here for leather there, tit for tat?

Well that might sound fair. But what seems sensible to us might not to them. I learned long ago not to question her purchases or equate mine to hers. Can't end good. It's the men are from Mars women from Venus thing.

Luckily, my 3" Artisan was a birthday present.

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

Horsehide though, if USA sourced only comes from one tannery so will for the most part be the same......My horsehide strops from last year are all top grain with the skin one. Quite smooth and more finishing than general purpose strops.

Tony, how would you compare the horsehide produced today (I take it you're referring to Horween's in Chicago) to the horse "shell" they used in vintage strops?

I'm always a little puzzled when people say horse strops are too smooth to get any draw or that they're ideal only for finishing. My vintage shell strop has good draw but you have to work for it (a little bit of pressure and a lot of speed). This is one of the things I like about it – when you get that draw you know the razor's ready. I used to have a latigo strop and it didn't speak to me like this, there was so much heavy draw from the get-go.

I can't imagine that vintage shell strops were only ideal for finishing, because after all they were the standard.

Always ready to be set straight by the man who knows strops better than anybody!

Originally Posted by Bruce

louee, et al,

Shouldn't one be able to get one new strop for every pair of the wife's new shoes? Leather here for leather there, tit for tat?

Actually the quantity of leather to make a shoe would require at least the same amount for a strop. So for a pair of shoes, it should be two strops.

Tony,

I was wondering how to eventually treat the rough horsehide strop.

I have your dual horsehide rough/smooth and also your original red latigo. The latigo I mostly use my hands to keep it going. The smooth horsehide I'm also not so worried about but the rough horsehide has this nice raised nap, kind a like a fine suede feeling.

How am I about to treating the horsehide rough and smooth side?