Originally Posted by
Tony Miller
Other than a few unusual materials one could duplicate anything I, SRD, Hand American or Kenrup makes. We each have a few different materials under our belts, horsehide, cordovan, bridle leathers, buffalo, etc.... You need a certain level of skill in cutting, finishing etc... Access to the hardware used, etc.....Some of us do certain steps to break in leather etc...trade secrets if you will. This we learned by using and making strops.
Materials though is what makes it harder. Unless you can walk into a leather supplier you take a chance on ordering a belt blank. I know my local Tandy has latigo blanks for belts ranging from pretty nice looking to completely unusable for strops.....which one will you get if mail ordered?
What you buy, when you buy from one of the mentioned dealers, is workmanship and the sellers judgement of what will be acceptable and what will not. You know you will get a near perfect strop, if it is not you know the dealer will make it right and in most cases if some issue develops in a week or two the dealer will still stand behind it.
If you have skill and access to materials you can make what we make, no problem. What you buy from us is our experience and discernment in what we sell. Any of the mentioned dealers and our UK counterparts pretty much follow these same standards of service and care.
Tony