Thread: Why are good vintage strops so hard to find?

So I have been watching the classifieds for ages, here and at B&B, and they never pop up. I just missed one over at B&B, on the two days I didn't look. Does anyone know any really good places to find them? Are the ones on e-prey restorable? Because surely if you sand something like shell it will kill the finish?

Leather is much more fragile than steel. Most vintage strops are dry-rotted to some degree, many are creased, and an awful lot are nicked and sliced.

I know! You're telling me! Gah I'm so frustrated!!!!

The linen side of vintage strops is quite often ok, which is handy since vintage linen tends to be better than the modern stuff. So you can pair it up with a piece of modern leather and you're GTG.

Your comments don't leave much hope finding a shumate strop.

I've gotten quite a few off of ebay and only one that wasn't real nice. 2 C-Mons, a Wester Bros, FWE, Koken, Beau Brummel and a couple of dubl ducks, a Red Imp.... like any normal person.

If you keep your eyes peeled you'll find them. Just ask questions and make sure the photos are good.

I haven't bought any vintage strops in probably the last 3 years but then, I was able to get all kinds of strops in great condition and many nos still in their original wrappers on Eboy and they weren't that expensive either.

I think that Tony Millers strops are excellent. I have never used a vintage strop personally, but I cant imagine that the leather is all that much better... I mean, Cows havent evolved have they? (Just gotten madder, maybe )

Lol first off cow hide is a reasonably new thing to strops- most were horse hide if I'm not horribly mistaken.
Second, I'm getting a new strop from kenrup, I just like the idea of vintage you know?

They're out there, just keep looking. I have two nice vintage strops. One Dubl Duck in mint condition, the other needed some work, but it's going to turn out ok. Nothing some sanding, buffing, saddle soap, and neetsfoot oil wouldn't cure. No dry rot, nothing like that. It's actually a work in progress. Here's pics of the Dubl Duck and the medal of award razor strop 814. It just got another coat of neetsfoot oil and needs some buffing. There cool to have, but I really don't use them. I use Tony's Red Latigo mainly, then kenrup's paladin to finish. I have a few others.