Think this is genuine shell?

Good morning gents, I recently took a gamble on the bay and ordered a strop from Spain, the title says cordovan and linen but the description says shell cordovan and linen. Here is the link to the add, it was super cheap for what I am used to seeing even horse butt going for, Straight Razor Leather Canvas Strop Leather Horse Cordovan Linen | eBay. I am still waiting for it to arrive estimated delivery is March 10.

Think I got a steal, or ripped off?
Input from more experienced eyes would be appreciated. Have a great day gentlemen

The linen looks fine but the leather doesn't look like shell. You will be better able to tell when you get it. If it was shell and first quality you got better than a steal.

That's kind of what I figured considering its 1/10th the price of any shell I have seen. At this point I'll be happy if it's even horse. I'm using English bridle and felt right now so a different combination will be fun.

The pictures don't show enough, the close up does not look like shell but the back looks like it might be. There is another piece that come off the horse, not shell but from the same area. Possibly that outer layer

You will have to wait and see.

Yeah, honestly as long as it is horse ill be fine with it. Time will tell as to what it really is. Hopefully it arrives sooner than the 10th estimation.

One of the few tanneries that still makes shell cordovan is in Spain. Its possible this is, the back of the leather looks similar to Horween's Cordovan. Post back when you get it!

It could be shell. I don't really see a grain.

Over the holidays, I came across a domestic US seller of new "Horween" strops. The price was about the same as yours. When it arrived and I took it out of the box, it had a cheap quality about it, as though a false backing had been glued to the strop side. I sent it back and received a refund.

Not to say yours is the real deal or not, as it was impossible for me to tell myself upon purchasing. When it arrives, take some focussed, detail shots of the stropping surface, the side, and the back of the strop and post it here before using.

Brontosaurus, there will be plenty of pics taken and posted here when it arrives It might be hard for me to send it back for a refund, if it turns out to be say TPU, seeing as the seller is in Spain and doesn't appear to speak English lol. The optimist in me is hoping and praying it is real shell, but the realist is me say to not get my hopes up and that it might just be calf skin or something similar on a thicker backing. Unless its shipped flat, if it shows up with wrinkles I'll know for sure.

Update: I was able to find the brand, it is a Noel Del Hierro, has anyone heard of this brand? I found their website but it is of course in Spanish, I knew I should have paid more attention in high school :banghead: lol. the only other things I can find are a couple "show and tell" threads on some other forums.

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Originally Posted by Russell1989

Update: I was able to find the brand, it is a Noel Del Hierro, has anyone heard of this brand? I found their website but it is of course in Spanish, I knew I should have paid more attention in high school :banghead: lol. the only other things I can find are a couple "show and tell" threads on some other forums.

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Yes, unfortunately. I bought one of their strops from the B&B classifieds (the same guy is still selling them there, go to the end of the listings) and it was utter crap. A big flaw in the leather made it useless for stropping, and the construction was pretty shoddy. It wasn't worth the $$$ to return, so I put CrOx on the rough side and kept it in the shop so that it wouldn't infest my good strops. It wasn't a very good as a pasted strop either, so it eventually got deep sixed. Based on this one example, I'd give both the strop and B&B a pass...

That doesn't give me very high hopes :(. Hopefully that was a fluke of QC I'd hate to think of any company knowingly putting out a product that is unusable like that. I already ordered it, so hopefully it arrives unblemished and still usable at least.

Well, I really do hope that is the case and you get a usable strop that is worth at least what you paid for it. In my case, however, it wasn't merely a cosmetic flaw that might have been easily overlooked by a non-shaver. It was a major natural crease in the leather, such as near a limb joint, that allowed the whole strop to flop along it like a hinge. It was at roughly 45 degrees to the edges and about half the thickness of the hide deep. I tried to use the rough side for CrOx because it was at least level, but ultimately the hinging effect of the crease made the whole thing useless.

Best of luck with yours!

I'm very doubtful if that were Shell, the cost of producing the leather is very high so I wouldn't build your hopes up.

As am I, at this point I have already made a backup plan and have a Red Imp 700 on order as well. When it arrives I will report back with first impression quality and if it is usable after a couple shaves. Thanks for all the input guys.

Well the strop came in today.... I am almost 100% certain it is TPU glued onto a piece of pressed leather shavings. I can feel and see a very thin layer on the stoping surface that is considerably denser than the bottom. The linen is also very thin almost like a 60 thread count linen bed sheet. I am on my phone right now but will post pics when I get to my computer. It definitely looks very different from the pics on the ad.

Attachment 230214 stropping surface, Attachment 230215 back of strop, Attachment 230216 side view, if you look close you can see the layer on top, Attachment 230217 next to my Big Daddy English Bridle (forgive the gash, was tired and forgot to flip the blade :banghead:) Attachment 230218 and the linen side. Also the surface does not scratch or scuff as real leather should.

The sad thing is that thin layer may very well be Shell cordavan & if it works no problem But if you nick it it could be a real problem. I guess he is using as little shell and as thin a linen as he can find to make a buck.We need a wall of Shame to display this kind of product!

Slawman

Really difficult to say, but compared to other pictures of Shell Cordovan leather I have seen, that doesn't look to be legit. I recall getting a strop (it was free) from a vendor as part of a package promo deal. It looked similar to what you have here. It was kind of a leather version of a Chicken McNugget...you know-parts and stuff all pressed together. Was hardly worth even giving away.

Slawman, that may be true also, I performed a small "biopsy" on a corner that was sticking out of the curve of the handle and tried to separate the top from the backing. It didn't quite feel like plastic or TPU but didn't really feel like any leather I have ever handled either. I'm not sure what exactly it is but it did do a fairly decent job on one of my razors, the linen is useless though, it stretches while the seem does not. And Phoenix51 the backing is definitely "chicken nugget leather" (I like that analogy haha). Maybe it's a chicken nugget version of shell taking all the trimmings and shavings from making shell shoes and pressing it into a very thin layer. Idk but it did a half decent job on the razor. I'm not super happy with it but not totally disappointed either, at least it works for its intended purpose. Good for travel as it arrived fairly tightly rolled but there are no creases or ripples in it, at least I can pack it in an overnight bag.

Sorry, can you tell me what TPU stands for? Just so I can learn.
Thanks

Not a problem, it stands for Thermoplastic Polyurethane, it's the stuff Payless's dress shoes are made of lol.

Thanks!
And, Ewww.

Yeah, its not good. It will function for its given purpose for the most part but not as well as my English Bridle.