Thread: Imported Russian Eagle #775 'Certifyd' stamp - Information please

Who can tell me more? How do they compare to other Strops of the time. Where were they made? Is there an association to E.M MFG Co.

I have an 'antique' I picked up at a mall in Woodstock, IL. Any help identifying would be great. The stamp at the top of the leather reads:
IMPORTED RUSSIAN EAGLE (Has a crest marking opposing eagle heads with a crown over top) in the center is a horseman). The bottom of the strop has a stamp on the leather (note mine is faded so that there is no 'white' left to the bottom marking:

CERTIFYD TRADEMARK SANITARY SELECT WILL BEAT 'EM ALL LIKE CERTIFIED CHECKS 100% POSITIVE VALUE MADE IN THE U.S.A. and in a wreath (775). The stop leather has a checked backside. There is a linen attached as well.

Most strops were made by a handful of outfits and sold by a multitude of retailers and suppliers who put their name on it.

That particular outfit was a maker of many strops. The famous Red Imp Strops were made by them too. You can tell because they all have that same logo on them about the Certified Check.

The red Imps are marked #700 and they are Horse.

If In Good condition,They are very nice strops.

I've got a couple of Cetifyds, a Red Imp and a similar "Russian" strop to yours. Mine has a bunch of cyrillac (Russian) writing in a circle at the top, and the same Certifyd logo stuff down on the end. All of them say "Made In USA," so the Russian is either imported leather, or ..... more likely, a method of curing the leather used to be known as Russian. I've read a couple of different versions of this topic when it has come up in the past and more than likely it is the curing rather than the leather, but you never know. They made a good strop in their day.

They are great strops that were popular with barbers from about 1900-1940's.

Condition is everything.

I too have a red imp 700 and both the leather and fabric are exceptional.

I have two Russian shell strops. Really need no others. If in good condition they have many, many years left to them.