Is the leather still in it's "raw" state? Meaning, has it been finished/sanded yet? If not, then it's probably the same Hand American horsehide that I was able to get from Hand American a few months back. I got 3 of the horse butt strips (what's left over after the "shells" are removed. These strips were approx 5' long and at their thickest point approx 12". The grain side of this leather IMO is not suitable for making a fine leather strop and the "flesh" side as it's called (the side with a high suede nap) is also quite rough.

The grain side on these strips have a fair amount of fat wrinkles, scars, bumps, etc. Don't get me wrong, it's great leather that's as tough as nails. I've cut all strips to 24" by 2.5" and have probably 8-9 strips?

Long lead in, I know, but in answer to your question, IF your leather is in the same natural state as the horsehide I have, you'd be better off hand finishing the surface. I used a flat sanding block and 150-200 grit sandpaper (not wet/dry as it loads too quickly for this, but the regular sandpaper). Sand, sand and sand and sand some more. This gave me additional respect for Tony Miller and Kenrup. Hand finishing a strop to get an utterly silky surface (which I have) is HARD WORK and takes a lot of time. Also, this leather can be a bit wavy; more than I'd like. It needs to be flattened as a final step. The results though are fabulous. I'll try and post a few pics.

Chris L