Strrop finishing.....

This question is about strop finishing..

Does anyone know how the different finishes on strops are developed?

I have several leather strop's and each has a slightly different finish and feel.

I realize that the tanning method probably has a lot to do with it but one of my strops, a "Mahogony" is super smooth and slick. Much differnt than the other strops.

I wonder if this strop was mechanically processed? Remember, one of the suggestions for strop conditioning is to rub it with a glass bottle.


Weeelllll............ what if a person took an old Maytag wringer washer, replaced the roller's with roller's made of glass and then feed the strop into the wringer, slowly,....
pulled the strop back.....feed it back in again etc etc etc.

Do you think this would result in a smoother strop?

Any other ideas?

Randy Tuttle
randydance@comcast.net

I am not sure about this.

The whole idea is good, I mean is basically the same as using a bottle but with more pressure. What I wonder about is if it is only the finish that is smooth, or has the whole leather been treated?

If it isn't the whole strop, I would say that the "grid" would be extended making it coarser?
If it is the whole strop it should be fine.

Just an opinion.

Hoekie


cooooffeee

I think Tony Miller is actively running this thru his mind. It is really up his alley being involved with both woodworking and leather so much.

It will be interesting to see what he comes up with. :)

When I get a new strop I always pull out the old roller pin and spend some time just going back and forth. I would think the washer idea might put too much pressure on the strop maybe thin it out too much unless you can adjust the tension between the rollers.

I have noticed that examining some old strops no matter the material; horse, seal,elk,cow, they all feel remarkedly the same yet the newly manufactered ones feel very different. I have some NOS vintage and they feel like the old ones so its not the use that changes them.

I suspect the old strops were manufactured differently and I wonder if that technique has been lost.