Thread: How to Make a Good Strop?

Originally Posted by Sirnanigans

I can use a method like boning to simultaneously loosen the fibers and condition the surface.

IME "boning" compacts the fibers. I use it as a way of working hard carnauba wax into the strop.

Originally Posted by Sirnanigans

Typically, leather is measured by weight in ounces. You can find a conversion chart on google pretty easy, the weight is effectively a measure of thickness nowadays.

5mm is thick. If it's tooling leather, it's going to be relatively stiff and unforgiving. I don't know what's best for strops myself, but I can guess that 5mm is going to be too stiff and any inconsistencies in the surface are going to effect the blade.

I wonder if tension while stropping can compensate for thinner leather. In any case, 5mm is pretty darn heavy duty, suited for shoe souls and medieval armor. Sanding or, if you have a means, splitting the leather will reduce the thickness. Don't take anything off of the smooth side if you thin it! The grain (smooth side) is very thin and will be immediately marred or removed.

Originally Posted by Sirnanigans

Tooling leather is so tough that the thickness shouldn't effect the surface's stiffness, so if it's fixed to a solid object it shouldn't matter what weight it is.

If you mean a strop looped around a piece of wood that allows the leather to flex like a hanging strop, the weight will effect the results. 12oz leather is so thick that flexing it on a strop like that would take too much force, possibly screwing up your edge.

In your first few posts you said that you understood a lot about leather (which i am not disputing, you seem very conversant with it), however you did say that you didnt know how your knowledge translated to strops for fine razors. This being the case i do wonder why you are now giving advice on leather for razor strops.
Sorry dont mean to sound like a curmudgeon, but the two things seem to contradict each other.

Originally Posted by edhewitt

Hey cariocarj, i would suggest simply trying out the leather and see how you go, the no name strop i mentioned earlier must be close to that thickness. That is assuming it is otherwise flat and smooth.

Hi edhewitt,

So I'll keep the leather and give it a try. I'll cut and use the area free of bad spots. If it works, good. If doesn't i'll buy another one.

Thanks for the answer.

Originally Posted by edhewitt

In your first few posts you said that you understood a lot about leather (which i am not disputing, you seem very conversant with it), however you did say that you didnt know how your knowledge translated to strops for fine razors. This being the case i do wonder why you are now giving advice on leather for razor strops.
Sorry dont mean to sound like a curmudgeon, but the two things seem to contradict each other.

Thats mostly a reason I chose not to help, Ed.

We have got spurious advice from someone who clearly does not what he is talking about aided by others who are in the same position. These people seem to think that veg tan is a leather rather than a tanning type, and that both latogo and shell is veg tanned before being retanned. Horse hide is fully veg tanned.

Latigo can be soft as anythin or stiff as board, with a fibrous or very firm flesh side. Latigo is cowhide. Steerhide is cowhide, Boning or breaking in leather is not simply suspending it from a wooden dowel.

That and the rather terse order for answers in a given form when the querant would to better by reading a book from someone in the know tend to put me off...

Originally Posted by edhewitt

In your first few posts you said that you understood a lot about leather (which i am not disputing, you seem very conversant with it), however you did say that you didnt know how your knowledge translated to strops for fine razors. This being the case i do wonder why you are now giving advice on leather for razor strops.
Sorry dont mean to sound like a curmudgeon, but the two things seem to contradict each other.

Well, I am missing a lot of details, because I know how to sharpen knives, how to craft with leather, and what a strop is and does. That's enough to make some inferences. However, it would be foolish to take everything I know of knife stropping on a flat surface and just apply it directly to a hanging strop for a different kind of blade.

I spend a lot of time on forums gathering and sharing information before I invest time and money into my various projects. I suppose I just can't help myself if I feel I can answer a question. That's my fault.

Well, apparently this entire thread is a bit of a failure. I would like to believe that it's the way I wrote the original post, but perhaps I am stepping on toes here.

I found enough leather to cut a few good strops from, it's 9oz veg tanned cow. I figure it may be best to seek advice as the questions come to me, fragmented but less imposing.

Some if the original questions were asked to round out the thread as a more complete source of information, not for an unwillingness to find it independently. Rest assured I won't storm the forums with threads like "what's latigo leather?" or "how long should a strop be?".

However, there's a lot of mystery solved best with advice directly from those with experience, especially questions specific to razor strops. I will likely stick around with some more palatable questions, assuming I am welcome. Just began the journey of straight razor shaving, so of course a community like this is my best friend.

Originally Posted by Sirnanigans

Typically, leather is measured by weight in ounces. You can find a conversion chart on google pretty easy, the weight is effectively a measure of thickness nowadays.

5mm is thick. If it's tooling leather, it's going to be relatively stiff and unforgiving. I don't know what's best for strops myself, but I can guess that 5mm is going to be too stiff and any inconsistencies in the surface are going to effect the blade.

I wonder if tension while stropping can compensate for thinner leather. In any case, 5mm is pretty darn heavy duty, suited for shoe souls and medieval armor. Sanding or, if you have a means, splitting the leather will reduce the thickness. Don't take anything off of the smooth side if you thin it! The grain (smooth side) is very thin and will be immediately marred or removed.

Originally Posted by cariocarj01

Hi edhewitt,

So I'll keep the leather and give it a try. I'll cut and use the area free of bad spots. If it works, good. If doesn't i'll buy another one.

Thanks for the answer.

Well you really have nowt to lose do you you have bought it now, so you may as well give it a whirl.

Originally Posted by Sirnanigans

Typically, leather is measured by weight in ounces. You can find a conversion chart on google pretty easy, the weight is effectively a measure of thickness nowadays.

5mm is thick. If it's tooling leather, it's going to be relatively stiff and unforgiving. I don't know what's best for strops myself, but I can guess that 5mm is going to be too stiff and any inconsistencies in the surface are going to effect the blade.

I wonder if tension while stropping can compensate for thinner leather. In any case, 5mm is pretty darn heavy duty, suited for shoe souls and medieval armor. Sanding or, if you have a means, splitting the leather will reduce the thickness. Don't take anything off of the smooth side if you thin it! The grain (smooth side) is very thin and will be immediately marred or removed.

Originally Posted by Sirnanigans

Well, apparently this entire thread is a bit of a failure. I would like to believe that it's the way I wrote the original post, but perhaps I am stepping on toes here.

I found enough leather to cut a few good strops from, it's 9oz veg tanned cow. I figure it may be best to seek advice as the questions come to me, fragmented but less imposing.

Some if the original questions were asked to round out the thread as a more complete source of information, not for an unwillingness to find it independently. Rest assured I won't storm the forums with threads like "what's latigo leather?" or "how long should a strop be?".

However, there's a lot of mystery solved best with advice directly from those with experience, especially questions specific to razor strops. I will likely stick around with some more palatable questions, assuming I am welcome. Just began the journey of straight razor shaving, so of course a community like this is my best friend.

We always welcome new members (though it may not feel like it sometimes), it might be nice (if you havent already) to go to the beginners forum and post a thread introducing yourself, the members here are generally very free with their advice, but the tone of the question is pretty important.
Anyway have another shot at it, i am sure you willbe made to feel more welcome

Good luck, seems like a very ambitious undertaking. Let up know how it comes out.

I'm preparing to cut the leather and make my first paddle strop.
i use a lot of neastfoot oil on it (the thing was thirst) and i can see all bad spots on the leather and maybe i can cut two pieces from the hole 30cm x 60cm. Now i'm wait until tomorrow (or the day after) to cut and glue it on a piece of balsa wood.