Thread: Leather Questions

Hello Gents!
While looking for leather to make strops I've come up with some questions.
This company in England told me (if I understood this right) that English bridle leather is different than American. Is this true? How so?
Also, some say English bridle may not be good for stropping due to the large amounts of waxes and oils.. is this true? How would this make it better or worse?
I know that "preference" is key.
Please give me your preferences and also facts if you can.
Thank you very much! I'm still learning and really appreciate all the info.
Mike T.

EDIT: Oh and one more thing... bridle vs latigo?

Don't know if there is a difference. You can get the leather at Tandy Leather. I bought a piece in the bargin bin 2 1/2 x 68" for $29.00. Worked great.

Yea, probably… each tannery will have their formulas and process and result may differ.

But, can you feel the difference in a strop? Depends…

For most new guys, I doubt it will make much of a difference. Like most things in this hobby there is a lot to be said for quality gear and gear that just looks good and how it makes you feel.

If you are confident in your stropping skills, do not be afraid to invest in quality, beautifully made leather. A quality new strop is still a drop in the bucket, for the amount of work involved, and is a multi-lifetime purchase.

I am glad to see leather artisans making some gorgeous new strops from quality materials again. Do not overlook vintage strops though, if you are willing to put in a little work there are some great deals to be had, in vintage leather and linen and they are finishers.

If you will go to Straight Razor Designs web site you will discover some of their top strops are made from English Bridle leather. I have one of their Premium Strops and love it. If it wasn't quality leather Don & Lynn would not put their name on it............

Thanks for the info! Much appreciated.
Did some reading, so if I have this right, latigo has another step in the process that makes it more flexible than bridle. Both are packed with oils and waxes. Have not read much about American vs English latigo and bridle but I'm sure there are both varieties available in the states (oil and wax laden and without oils and waxes).
I'm going to try out the English bridle leather though it is an expensive company, the leather looks amazing (but you don't know until...)

Which company are you dealing with MikeT? I've been in contact with a few recently, trying to source the right leather at the right price. One of them was good enough to send me samples.