Thread: Bison made strop

Horween shell cuts really easily and true, unlike thick cowhide where you have to work through it a little more and make sure you get a good clean cut through it.

That said, you can still cut it wrong and make your very expensive shell worthless.

The whole sewing thing that occurs after cutting a strop, or finishing edges, etc, is beyond me. I just cut a clean strip out and go from there. What didn't happen so well was narrowing my horse butt strop from 3" to 2", I got the edges just a little ragged, but it still works well.

My horween strop has taken on a little bit of surface damage, though, even though it's only seen maybe 50 stropping sessions, some of the treatment has come off a little bit. That causes it to be less nice than my cheapie butt strip strop. All it takes to make a simple strop is a decent piece of leather, a straight edge and a good very sharp marking knife that doesn't have too fat of a bevel. I buy vintage strops to get linens, though. I have no idea what's different about them, but I like them better than anything new. Personal opinion.

Sr.

In my opinion that's not the genuine shell cordovan from horween. I have one and that not the logo. But get in touch with them. They will work that with you.

Thanks
Ken

Originally Posted by rcf1023

I did keep the strops, now i also have horween shell now, I like the bison made shells but note they change sources from time to time they are trying to get horween but they have a horrible shortage that is why they outsourced shells elsewhere, I believe the Rocinante and the horween are pretty much exact but I do find the horween to be a slight touch more glassy feel, this is just my opinion and again I am absolutely happy wit both products!

Lord knows where they get alternative shell cordovan from as the only other shell cordovan tannery (I know of) is Shinki-Hikaku, Y.K. in Kobe, Japan. The product looks the same as horweens, but an american shoe maker who went to Japan said that the Japanese glazed shell product was not quite up to Horween's level.

I would have thought that any company buying in bulk could ask for an unstamped back so they could apply there own mark.

Horween's shell is a little hard to come by, as they keep their older, regular customers satisfied. The company I buy from (Horween are not too happy about selling direct to the individual) has had to cut their stock, only refreshing it 4 times a year now. Happily I am a bulk-buying long-established buyer who has some history with Horween, so I am not that affected.

Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Lord knows where they get alternative shell cordovan from as the only other shell cordovan tannery (I know of) is Shinki-Hikaku, Y.K. in Kobe, Japan. The product looks the same as horweens, but an american shoe maker who went to Japan said that the Japanese glazed shell product was not quite up to Horween's level.

I would have thought that any company buying in bulk could ask for an unstamped back so they could apply there own mark.

Horween's shell is a little hard to come by, as they keep their older, regular customers satisfied. The company I buy from (Horween are not too happy about selling direct to the individual) has had to cut their stock, only refreshing it 4 times a year now. Happily I am a bulk-buying long-established buyer who has some history with Horween, so I am not that affected.

Regards,
Neil

They used to have a retail arm, i can't remember what it was called. Their retail arm will sell to you, but they pretty much say the same - that they'll get back to you when they're caught up with their regular customers (probably allen edmonds and some other shoe and accessory makers), and until then you won't get a shell. I think it was called Tannery Row, I'm sure I still have emails from them.

Last I checked, thought, the shells had gone up about 50%. When I got mine, it was a #2 that they picked for my benefit to be more oblong than most (so I could get a good strop right out of the middle of it) and it cost me $225 with shipping (it was about $200 or something without shipping).

In the world of things an individual could buy materials and make their own to save a few bucks, it's really not a great choice because it's so expensive. I've already managed to run some of the treatment off of the surface of mine which is a real bummer.

It is the only leather I have ever touched where without doing anything at all, the factory surface was superb for stropping - light lightning and made a super keen razor. And it was a joy to cut. It just burst apart at contact with a violin knife and cut perfectly cleanly.

I wouldn't buy it again myself, though, as a cheapskate self-maker of strops, unless I had something to do with the shorter pieces that were left over. It's not hard to find someone who will buy it from you to make wallets or watch bands, but it's hard to get enough to justify buying the shell in the first place. Translation being that my strop cost me $150 to make, it has no backer or linen to it, I had to make the brass fixtures out of bar stock brass to hold it together at the top, and I've managed to damage it already. I probably had a razor that was no in perfect shape on it or something, i don't know, but I'd be more careful of it now that I've damaged it already.

Originally Posted by DaveW

In the world of things an individual could buy materials and make their own to save a few bucks, it's really not a great choice because it's so expensive. I've already managed to run some of the treatment off of the surface of mine which is a real bummer.

Yeah, I've made a couple of strops with horsehide from Keith @ HandAmerican. Not rocket science, but if I'm going to spend what it takes for shell, I'd rather let a pro like Neil do the honors. The shell I got from him is perfect and gorgeous. The issue of removing some of the surface finish, scuffing, nicking or God Forbid, slicing is a real drag.

TBH, my higher end strops, the Neil Miller, Kanayama 80,000, HandAmerican Old Dog, don't see much use. A shame I know, but I just can't stomach the risk of a miscue, so I mostly strop on the couple that have battle scars already.

Here is a photo of what I'm starting with, the color seems blotchy, o

This is very important information for some of us.....uh, let's just say me for sure. I recently went from stropping up to stropping down (the anchor point). Funny thing is I noticed the feathers (which I like to call those little lifts of leather) also changed ends when I changed my method. I also would like to get a strop from a legend (NM) but for the same reason feel I do not have the skill needed to not let my mind wander while stropping. Partly it is the fact that stropping, while a part of a routine which overall I enjoy a lot, is my least favorite part. If I could get over that and make it more fun....who knows, maybe no more feathers?

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Yeah, I've made a couple of strops with horsehide from Keith @ HandAmerican. Not rocket science, but if I'm going to spend what it takes for shell, I'd rather let a pro like Neil do the honors. The shell I got from him is perfect and gorgeous. The issue of removing some of the surface finish, scuffing, nicking or God Forbid, slicing is a real drag.

TBH, my higher end strops, the Neil Miller, Kanayama 80,000, HandAmerican Old Dog, don't see much use. A shame I know, but I just can't stomach the risk of a miscue, so I mostly strop on the couple that have battle scars already.

Hey guys I have a question, are kanayama strips made with horse hide or she'll cordovan because the description says, cordovan (horse hide) , I am asking because cordovan is known as a color, I am confused. Also another question is. How are the lanayama strip graded, I know the higher ones are thicker by a millimeter if that but are they also higher and lower end leather thoughout the grading system?

Originally Posted by rcf1023

Hey guys I have a question, are kanayama strips made with horse hide or she'll cordovan because the description says, cordovan (horse hide) , I am asking because cordovan is known as a color, I am confused. Also another question is. How are the lanayama strip graded, I know the higher ones are thicker by a millimeter if that but are they also higher and lower end leather thoughout the grading system?

Hi Raymond,

Cordovan is horsehide. Kanayama strops are Cordovan - but not specifically 'Shell' Cordovan. Shell Cordovan is the name given to the oval shaped areas of the rump of the horse hide. The maker of Kanayama strops uses fine horse hide, and treats it himself - but my understanding is that he makes use of other parts of the horse hide - not necessarily just the 'shells'.

The more expensive Kanayama strops are thicker hide, and some people suggest that the surface is ever so slightly finer/smoother on the high end strops, but others seem to suggest that they are all exactly the same - and its just the thickness of the strops that differ. I only have one Kanayama, which is the cheapest, so someone who owns a range of Kanayama strops would be better placed to comment.

The word Cordovan is also used to describe colour - but I haven't heard it used to describe the colour of strops, probably because it would lead to confusion!

Here is an interesting video which shows the maker of Kanayama strops treating the hides himself in a large mechanised barrel. Its in Japanese, so won't make any sense, but the footage is still very interesting! The part about the strops starts at about 31 minutes into the video - so fast forward to that point!

和風�本家「世界�見���Made in Japan� - 12.07.05 BIZ動画

Regards,

Alastair.

Hey Alastair, thank you for the clearin that up for me! Unfortunately, I am unable to navigate the link you sent me because it is too confusing with the language barrier. Maybe you can tell me how rows down, what page?
Thank you