Thread: Using leather belt as a strop?

If you're just looking for an interim strop, I would suggest getting a belt blank from Hobby Lobby or Michael's (if you're near one). They are 100% leather and not the reconstituted kind Bigspendur referred to. You will want to rub just a TINY bit of neatsfoot oil into the smooth side of the leather and let it sit under some flat, heavy objects (think: Encyclopedia) for a few days. This gives the oil time to soak in and keeps the leather from curling or twisting or cupping on you. Then, find an old laptop bag with a removable nylon strap that has a clip on the end. Make sure the width is as wide or slightly more narrow than the leather. Place the nylon strap on the back side (rough side) of the leather so that the clip sticks out beyond the end of the leather and put a couple of Chicago screws through both pieces to hold it all together. You then have a cheap hanging strop with a fabric and leather component. For extra flexibility, use a small loop of paracord or a shoe lace to attach the strop to a doorknob/towel bar/etc.

I did this for a travel strop so I don't mess up my SRD Black Latigo strop when I go out of town (and when I feel like bringing more than my strop backed barber's hone). It worked like a charm, though I had to really make sure I was using an X-stroke while stropping and go a bit slower than normal. But the shave was buttery smooth in the end- somewhere between DFS and BBS.

I'll see if I can post a picture of it when I get home. It's pretty Spartan in terms of aesthetics, but it gets the job done.

Idea. I've been using a heavy cotton military like belt for a pasted strop. Works great!!