Difference between strops

New to this I have purchased two strops. One is an Illinois #827 with Fromm strop dressing. The other is a Dovo 29"x2" (wish I had purchased the extra wide 23"x3 1/4") and Dovo paste. My intent was to put strop dressing on one strop and yellow paste on the other strop for comparison, but my nephew spilled the strop dressing so to not waste I ended up with dressing on both strops. My questions are;

1. Both strops are advertised as being made from Russial Leather, but they are not even similar. The Dovo strop is flat, smooth and velvety, and the Illinois strop is irregular (almost like pebble grain leather), course and hard to the touch. What is the deal? Please share your thoughts and experience.

2. What is the difference between strop dressing and yellow paste? Is there an advantage of one over the other.

Thanks guys,

The Fromm Strop Dressing and the Dovo yellow paste are very different but do the same thing. They keep the strop pliable and create some draw or drag against the razor. This is what aligns the edge and keeps it sharp.

Now, the Dovo and the Illinois strops. The similarity is, well, tey are both made from leather. That's about where it ends <g>. The Illinois Russian strops vary widely. When good they are very nice, when bad, they are very bad. The Dovo is always nice (I still like mine better though <g>).

Russian refers to the process used to make the strop. In the old days it meant special tanning and a process of compressing the leather too. I have had two that actually described the length of the tanning process, 11 months embossed right onto the strop. Today it usually means the leather has been compressed. The Illinois uses the back, rough side of the leather as the working side and the smooth side is now the back with grooves pressed into it to harden the front side.
I have not seen the Dovo Russian but I think it has the smooth side as the working side and is compressed to make it hard.

Contrary to popular opinion Russian does not mean it has to be horsehide. I have owned a lot of strops and none of my Russians were from Horse. Most were cow of calf hide.

Tony