Thread: Shell Horse Hide

Sure Druid!

Hi Slawman, I have a vintage shell that feels wonderful but it leaves the tiniest nicks in the blade, probably due to storage or a knife compound used on it, so it will get Another cleaning and rubbed out with a bottle to "Sink" whatever the chip maker is that sticks out.

I made a strop from some horse hide Butt Shell but it is Not up to snuff and shows about an 1/8" thickness, is stiff even after several treatments.
Here is where they have way fair priced butt shell 7-9 weight
http://www.zackwhite.com/Horse-Hide-Butts_c_265.html

Buying a New high quality strop will only make you cry once and only buy a good one when you are decent at stropping motion, don't want to cut a new one. I see you've been here longer than I, so you probably know. Best regards.

Originally Posted by FAL

Hi Slawman, I have a vintage shell that feels wonderful but it leaves the tiniest nicks in the blade, probably due to storage or a knife compound used on it, so it will get Another cleaning and rubbed out with a bottle to "Sink" whatever the chip maker is that sticks out.

I made a strop from some horse hide Butt Shell but it is Not up to snuff and shows about an 1/8" thickness, is stiff even after several treatments.
Here is where they have way fair priced butt shell 7-9 weight
Horse Hide Butts

Buying a New high quality strop will only make you cry once and only buy a good one when you are decent at stropping motion, don't want to cut a new one. I see you've been here longer than I, so you probably know. Best regards.

Just to clarify, the butt strip and the shell are two different pieces of leather. The butt strip is from the waist of the animal, going across the back and down the sides. It still has the grain (skin layer of leather) on it. The Shells are the two circular pieces of leather on the rear flanks of the horse. They are typically about 2 square feet each. The difference in the two cuts of leather is that the fibers in the Shells run in all directions. Rather than having a specific grain, you have a solid piece of leather. They are processed in a traditional manner where the grain is removed, and they shells are cured for around six months. The butt strip on the other hand, has the grain surface usually left intact, and does not have as dense of fibers under the skin. It is typically cured and tanned in less than a month. Both work for strops, but they are very different pieces of leather, and how the razor feels on them is also different.

Absolutely true DryGulch, for new folks an less expensive strop will do for practice, was my intention. I have my EYE on a pair of Clydesdales that are getting too Old, I like horses and they should be used for the best they give, rather than just go to Tallow, French Love them some Horse meat.

Late to this, but I wouldn't drive to tannery row. I'd call them. You're basically last in line for a shell, but as said previously, they will try to pick one that is best for you if you let them know (for example, if you get a #2 shell, they usually aren't as long as we'd like, but they can pick one that's on the long and narrow end of the spectrum).

I have a horse butt strip strop that I use every day. I bought a #2 shell several years ago and sold off the excess (which left me holding the bag for about $150 to make my strop - kind of dumb). I wish I'd have just used the horse butt. Horween shell starts out nicer and slicker than just about everything, but the surface treatment is very vulnerable to anything less than kosher brought to it. That includes razors that have an unexpected nick, razors with spinework, etc, and after not many uses, my horween strop is a lower performer than my broken in horse butt strop.

Buying (and finding) a smooth butt strip leaves you with a piece of leather that is aggressive and needs to be used some, but in the end, the strop is much more durable and the ability to keen a razor is just as good. To break my butt strip razor in (it literally scratched visible scratches on an edge when brand new), I used my daily strop, and then I stropped another razor (that I didn't care if it got scuffed a little bit) on the horse butt for about 4 weeks. By that time, it was smooth and fast and better than my other strops, and it cost about $15 in leather.

I wish I wouldn't have bought the shell that I bought - but it would've made wonderful shoes or wallets. If I made one like it again, I'd make a narrower strop and be careful about the razors I put on it, because the treatment on the surface - once it comes off, it's not coming back.

Originally Posted by DaveW

Late to this, but I wouldn't drive to tannery row. I'd call them. You're basically last in line for a shell, but as said previously, they will try to pick one that is best for you if you let them know (for example, if you get a #2 shell, they usually aren't as long as we'd like, but they can pick one that's on the long and narrow end of the spectrum).

I have a horse butt strip strop that I use every day. I bought a #2 shell several years ago and sold off the excess (which left me holding the bag for about $150 to make my strop - kind of dumb). I wish I'd have just used the horse butt. Horween shell starts out nicer and slicker than just about everything, but the surface treatment is very vulnerable to anything less than kosher brought to it. That includes razors that have an unexpected nick, razors with spinework, etc, and after not many uses, my horween strop is a lower performer than my broken in horse butt strop.

Buying (and finding) a smooth butt strip leaves you with a piece of leather that is aggressive and needs to be used some, but in the end, the strop is much more durable and the ability to keen a razor is just as good. To break my butt strip razor in (it literally scratched visible scratches on an edge when brand new), I used my daily strop, and then I stropped another razor (that I didn't care if it got scuffed a little bit) on the horse butt for about 4 weeks. By that time, it was smooth and fast and better than my other strops, and it cost about $15 in leather.

I wish I wouldn't have bought the shell that I bought - but it would've made wonderful shoes or wallets. If I made one like it again, I'd make a narrower strop and be careful about the razors I put on it, because the treatment on the surface - once it comes off, it's not coming back.

Horween also makes a chromexcel horse strip. This is a vegetable tanned horse strip, with a slight retan with their Chromexcel formula. I have made strops with both shells and this chromexcel, and the difference between them isn't enough to justify the cost, in my opinion. These chromexcel strips are about 30 bucks shipped, and are available at Maverick Leather and Tannery row. I like them a lot more than the horse butt strips, as they have a little more draw, but not as much as Latigo.

Originally Posted by Drygulch

Horween also makes a chromexcel horse strip. This is a vegetable tanned horse strip, with a slight retan with their Chromexcel formula. I have made strops with both shells and this chromexcel, and the difference between them isn't enough to justify the cost, in my opinion. These chromexcel strips are about 30 bucks shipped, and are available at Maverick Leather and Tannery row. I like them a lot more than the horse butt strips, as they have a little more draw, but not as much as Latigo.

I'm convinced that stropping is like underpants...boxers or briefs, and some may not share my opinion on the horween shell. Just as lots of people like draw, and with broken in horse butt there's none. Mine is so broken in and so glazed on the surface that even though it's untreated, you can see an image reflection on it clearly. When you add oil to it, it just gets faster instead of slower (which wouldn't be the case if I oiled it a lot more heavily, I think, but it's interesting that just a little bit of mineral or neatsfoot oil and it slicks even more).

So my comments about the durability of horween shell may not be applicable for someone who has razors with no spinework or who operates with greater care.

(i'd still have tried something different if I'd have known I could damage the surface finish so easily. I may be a little off base though, too...perhaps I haven't used the strop enough and maybe what's below the damage would get slicked back to something better if I used it more).

I have used & abused my Koken, Hand finished, Imported Shell Horse hide No.1 selection strop & I really haven't been to careful with it. It was pretty dried out when I got it & I cleaned it real good with saddle soap then kept it coated in Fromm strop dressing for about a month. It drank up that dressing & I just added more every few days. when that was done I coated it with some mink oil for a couple of weeks. Then cleaned it off & lightly sanded it with 250 grit sand paper. put a very light coat of the Fromm on the strop & used a rolling pin to flatten & compress the strop. I let it hang for about a week before using it & all I can say is WOW. It has a medium pull that I like. I have put a light coat of Fromm on it & rubbed it in with my hand about every 6 months. I also washed & dried & processed the scotch Linen strop & one side of it has .25 SRD diamond spray & it works great also.
Best $12.00 I ever spent.


Slawman