Thread: Leather ? (With strop porn

I’m Went to a leather toy store today.

Still need a few more components before I pull the trigger.

What are top choices of bovine/cowhide leather for strops?
Thickness / weight?

Choice of finish? was told the veg tanned leather still needs possible stain and sealer.

Are all latigo leathers created equal, On the side piece there is variation in texture
Assuming smooth is premium, are the less smooth pieces still desirable/ usable?

Seen at toy store today.....

Veg tanned strip with d ring


3 inch Dee / d ring


Giant piece of Latigo (yellow paper is 8.5 x 11 inch




Veg tanned strip with o ring

A round ring will likely result in a cupped strop. Sliding it over a heavy piece of flat steel and pressing/pounding one side flat would help.

The round ring is a no no. Stay with d ring

Nothing like a day at a leather supplier ! Like a kid in a candy shop.

The 3" cowhide and the 2" latigo would both make nice strops. Look for even weight/thickness and something not cupped. No wrinkles that can be felt with the hands. Might need to go through the whole rack to get that.

As others have said D-rings not round even if you need to narrow the end of the leather to make them fit. Use a dee at each end and you can flip the strop end for end if you nick it badly. Chicago screws to hold everything together. Buy a trigger snap with a swivel, snap it onto the D ring to help hang it.

Looks like you are at Tandy. They have a cheap punch set for $10-$15 to make nice holes of get a single better quality one for maybe $6 there.

Let us see what you come up with!

You can buy individual 2 inch D rings at Ace Hardware, as well as swivels.

Here is an old post on making Canvas strops, no sewing, I use iron on fabric fusing. Fusing is very strong and easy to use.

You can cut notches in fabric or leather as demonstrated here to make 3 in strops, (How about cotton flannel from like a hobby shop for a board strop) or make leather caps and attach with rivets or Chicago Screws.

If you think you have a problem now, making strops is just another rabbit hole.