Thread: Strop leather differences

Originally Posted by SSY

... the text implies the russian leather is by far the better choice, I was just wondering what some of the experienced shavers thought about it?

See what you get when you ask a simple question around here? A Debate! I love it!

I went down the Horsehide/Horse Butt route around december last year. I actually found several sources for Cordovan and what one seller calls "North Of Cordovan" which is the long strips of leather just above and two the sides of the oval "butts". This cheek leather which I found oth vegtable tanned in hard and soft finish and in a Latigo finish had a good feel but because of flaws in the hides yeilded only 2 strops each which makes materials alone about $45 a strop and neither had a finish that looked like something I would put my logo on. The ovals were about $70 to $140 each depending on source and neither would have yielded more than one 18" strop. At that point I decided to stick with the choices I had been using.
If these were hides I could have inspected first hand I may have done better but what was sent to me was of inferior quality.
Despite what is printed or pictured on ANY commercially made strop today cows are the source, not horses.
Tony

I think that if you really want a horse shell strop the place to go is Eboy. They come up now and then and aren't too expensive and of course are vintage. I was lucky enough to get a Double Duck Horse Shell strop some time ago. Its very nice.

I know this prob sounds like a paid commercial for tony but its just my opinion...I've tried many diff strops and in my humble opinion tony's are the best stroping and highest quality Ive seen including hardware...the fact that hes not local thats why god made fedex...I was so impressed with his strops, I bought duplicates and put them away in case he retires...also I had him make my normal strop longer then usual to put a longer stroke on razor and had him make a travel strop his normal length so when I travel and in tighter space I can still use his strop...personal pref I prefer strops over paddle as I found only using a paddle when I travel affects my stroping tech as its diff stroke due to length and width 3 in vs 2 in of paddle vs strop...strop takes no room up in luggage as oppossed to paddle..like with every thing else I like long smooth strokes!

Thanks Charlie, I'm blushing now <g>. ( I think Charlie owns 5 of my strops now).

He had mentioned to me he liked hanging strops for travel and I am working on a few prototypes were the strop is leather only, a little narrower and a little shorter and rolls into a neat bundle with a strap keeping it rolled up. They will have a hanging thong so you can use a bathroom or hotel doorknob instead of a hook when travelling. The width will optional with 2", 2 1/2" and 3" as choices.

Thanks guys for all the support.

Tony

i have a Classic russian strop. i was lucky enough to locate a new old stock Shell leather strop. i think the shell works better.

<<< In German a stag is a "rind" and leather is "leder". >>>

PapaBull,
Rind is also commonly used to mean cow in German as well. Most translator programs and my German friend swill translate it as cow.

Juchten though is one that it sems no one can actually translate other than to say it has something to do with strops <g>.

Real "Russian Shell" is the best of all.

Tony

Okay, just went bck through my correspondance from Dovo about their strops. They list "Rind Leder" as cowhide and "Juchten" as Russian Process meaning (if I understand it correcxtly) a slow tanning process using special bark products and usually a compressing of the leather as well.


If you look at an Illinois (Fromm) #827 you can see theirs is a reversed leather in which the business side is the rough. interior side of the hide that has been compressed to make it hard.

The would be a great thread for Keith DeGrau to jump in on as he is very familiar with the tanning processes. I think he has described his leather as being pretty close to the shell process.

Tony

Tony,

I have a question for you. I have an extra wide strop I got from Classic shaving about a year ago. One side is smooth leather the other side is bumpy red . Is this red side used? I have never used it.

Rich,
I am sure this is setup with one side clearly being the "front" which is probably not the bumpy side. On several Russians I have seen the bumps are always on the reverse and sem to be a byproduct of the compressing process. The Illinois has a series or ridges pressed into the reverse and my real Russian made strop has a diamond pattern embossed from the back. My Jemico Russian has the pebble effect too.

It probably was not designed to be used but depending on the texture you may want to try it. I find the reveese side of some of the Hand American leather to have a really nice texture.

Tony