Thread: What makes good strop leather?

Veg tanned leather; cowhide being the most readily available.

I get very good finishes starting with regular 150 grit sandpaper using a flat sanding block. I sand both the grain side and the flesh side. The flesh side will always have a suede-like surface, but you can sand it down to a velvet finish and when done this way I find works great as a canvas/linen strop alternative but yet is fine enough to use as a finish strop (the flesh side sanded appropriately). The grain side when sanded will be silky smooth. I don't treat my leather with anything after sanding and have never had an issue and have the draw that I prefer on cowhide and horsehide.

I then finish sand in the 200-300 grit range (use regular sandpaper. Don't use wet-dry since it loads quickly when sanding dry leather and is rendered virtually useless for that application.

Chris L