DIY Rosewood Stropping Station

So after I got bitten by the vintage shell strop bug and went kind of wild on Ebay, I knew I had to do something about my lone cup hook screwed into the side of a dresser. And then I remembered that I had some old rosewood boards in a box of cut-offs from a custom woodworker friend. The straightest, most highly-figured one was virtually the exact length of the distance between my den window and corner wall (yeah, I still have wood-paneling; I'm just old-school like that!). So I took it up through the belts on a flat-platen up to 2000, and buffed it out from there. As always, I am stunned by the natural finish polish rosewood will take-no waxes or oils needed!

As the edges were kind of chipped out (which you can still see-these planks are decades old), I beveled and smoothed them the best I could on the same belts, as I don't have a router. I measured for screws and cup-hooks 3 inches apart, all brass, and cinched her down tight. So not only will it be a working stropping station, but a nice collection and conversation starter with guests ("Oh, God, there he goes again with the straight razor stuff," I can just hear my boys groan).
Attachment 268547Attachment 268548Attachment 268549Attachment 268550
I'll be awhile figuring out what goes where in any kind of progression, but here's what we have from left to right:
1. Custom English Bridle by Kevin aka Hidestoart. I traded a huge WB Chopper for this totally one of a kind strop a few years ago, and it remains a dream stropping surface. I just wish I knew what became of him-I haven't talked to him in a long time.
2. "Wagner's Professional Barber's Shell"-I just got this one in today, and it is a very heavy and yet extremely pliable piece of silken shell stropping bliss. The back piece says "Duplex Self-Honing Canvas Leather," and seems like textured leather, but is also quite smooth in effect. Here's a look:
Attachment 268551
3. "Extra Heavy Russia" Model 283 from Atlantic Barber Supply of Savannah, Ga. This Russian leather is very heavy gauge and a bit rough in feel, but seems smoother in actual stropping. The backside feels like linen, and says "Genuine Silk Finish" (and sure feels it!).
4. "DublDuck Satin Edge Imported Shell" with a linen backing. This one I took apart and carefully restored as best I could, as both components were kind of wavy and mildewy). I cleaned and conditioned the leather with WMF lather, a bottle, and rags, and rubbed/burnished in a very small about of neatsfoot in (which of course darkened it considerably as you can see). I then clamped it HARD between two smooth boards for a couple of days, which helped get it flat. And the chalked linen seemed very hard and quite mildewy, so I soaked, cleaned and rinsed it to practically new. It is now very smooth and pliable to strop on. Collectors may scoff, but I purchased this as a working strop.
5. "Alfred Field and Co. Progress 'Broke In Shell Horsehide' No.1" that I bought from Leonard aka Bouschie a few weeks ago. This is the one that started me on this downhill slope, as I was just completely taken by it silky stropping surface and vintage vibe (not to mention that fact that I could get this and other vintage shells for around $50 instead of "shelling" out $200-300 for a new one! Thanks for ruining my life, Leonard!
6. Homemade linen sewn into D-rings by my wife from a strip I may have gotten from RandyDance at the Asheville meetup a few years ago. Backside is CrOx pasted. This one gets used after every shave for cleanup and pre-leather.
7. Vintage fire hose that I got from CJBianco a few months back. I rigged it up with those giant stainless D-rings and brass screws. As it seems a bit rough for razors, I use it to tune up knives. .5 micron diamond spray on side 1, and CrOx behind. About 30 strokes on each restores a screaming sharp edge!

Well, I hope you enjoyed the tour. I still hope to get a few of the awesome "Certifyd" strops like a Red Imp and some others (if my wife doesn't beat me to death with one of these above first!:D Anybody else who has a stropping station they'd like to show off, no matter how simple or elaborate, feel free to post as a reply so others can get ideas.

Aaron/SHD

Wow! that's a nice piece of wood. Don't you just love scraps? I'm a big wood scrap hoarder myself, you never know when your going to need a piece of wood (or fill in the blank) for just such a project. Don't worry about the paneling my house has some of that vintage vibe going on too :).
Nice job BTW!

Nicely Done! Interesting collection of strops. Thanks for sharing.

Nice topic for a thread.:tu

Nice set up and collection you have there!

Looks like you turned a good idea into a great finished product.
Thanks

Only problem is....It's not big enough! :D

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

Only problem is....It's not big enough! :D

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Where are you gonna hang the next strop you're sure gonna buy?

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Originally Posted by Kees

Where are you gonna hang the next strop you're sure gonna buy?

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I guess I could double up; after all, I had 3 hanging on my one cup hook prior to making this!

Very nice work. I saw a vintage strop for $70 (I believe) and thought it was too much considering the cost of a new TM. I didn't know there were folks that used vintage strops. I thought the leather would deteriorate over the years.

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Originally Posted by azgabe

Very nice work. I saw a vintage strop for $70 (I believe) and thought it was too much considering the cost of a new TM. I didn't know there were folks that used vintage strops. I thought the leather would deteriorate over the years.

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Yeah, a lot of them are pretty far gone, and to some degree, depending on the leather and your patience, can be brought back. Then again, some of them are amazingly smooth and pliable. For example, #2 (the Wagner) and #5 (the Field and Co.) are almost as good as new. I paid $50 for each, and again, they're shell. My 1st strop was a TM (I assume you mean Tony Miller), and it's a great 3" latigo. But nobody is selling new shell cordovan for $50.

That's a nice full rack of strops you have there! Cool idea and great job, thanks for sharing it

Nice job. Rosewood is pretty.

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Originally Posted by ScoutHikerDad

Yeah, a lot of them are pretty far gone, and to some degree, depending on the leather and your patience, can be brought back. Then again, some of them are amazingly smooth and pliable. For example, #2 (the Wagner) and #5 (the Field and Co.) are almost as good as new. I paid $50 for each, and again, they're shell. My 1st strop was a TM (I assume you mean Tony Miller), and it's a great 3" latigo. But nobody is selling new shell cordovan for $50.

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Oh So shell means cordovan? The one I saw did say shell. I may have to inspect the condition a little closer if its still there.

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Originally Posted by azgabe

Oh So shell means cordovan? The one I saw did say shell. I may have to inspect the condition a little closer if its still there.

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I think there's some confusion on that; seems like someone on here recently tried to clarify this. Shell, generically, is the "shell" on both sides of a horse's rump, an extremely strong and fine-grained membrane between the hide and muscle proper if memory serves. I know of only two companies that can do the months of specialized tanning that it takes to make the rarest and finest of leathers. The Horween Company in Chicago explains it very well on their website (where they call it shell cordovan) here: https://www.horween.com/articles
Genuine Shell Cordovan is the art of tanning at its finest. More than just a color, it is a very specific leather, from a particular part of a horsehide. The irregular oval shaped shells are tanned, stuffed, shaved, and then polished – a process taking at least six months. Each shell is slowly steeped in gentle vegetable liquors. The shells are genuine hot stuffed then slicked onto glass frames to dry. Each shell is hand curried and shaved by highly skilled artisans to expose the shell. Dyes are hand rubbed on for a deep aniline finish. Finally, the shells are hand glazed to achieve the rich, glossy look and feel prized by fine craftsmen.-from their website. So the one company in the US that does it calls it more than a color, but the finished product of the long tanning process. I always thought of it as referring to the color cordovan too, like in cordovan penny loafers. But some companies that produce it in wallets, belts and other accessories have a black model that they also call cordovan, so there you are. There's a guy on Etsy who hand-makes gorgeous cordovan wallets to order from a shop in Taiwan I believe. I want one of the black ones, but it's close to $400 if memory serves.

There are others on here who know more about it than me, and can maybe further enlighten.