Thread: Homemade Kangaroo Strop

Originally Posted by JP5

Nice looking strop. I knew Mike uses his a lot so that had me interested in the material. I didn't know it was THAT thin. Pretty cool.

Yes, it's amazingly thin but strong, which is a big part of its appeal (not to mention the obvious exotic factor!). And I think that Aussie ebay supplier is doing vegetable-tanned IIRC.

Speaking of thin. I used to use a valet strop on my straights. It was horse hide & the reverse was cross hatched like Russian leather. I gave it to a SRP member but in hindsight was one of the best strops I ever used

Originally Posted by JP5

Nice looking strop. I knew Mike uses his a lot so that had me interested in the material. I didn't know it was THAT thin. Pretty cool.

When I first got it I was shocked too. Didn’t know it could be so tiny.

Originally Posted by Gasman

...I have an SRD Roo strop. Its nice. And yes, they are a bit noisey. Papery sounding. Congrads on adding a Roo to the collection.

That's a really good description of how kangaroo sounds when stropping - "papery sounding." They're even a little noisy when honing an old Sheffield wedge. On a really hollow ground razor, they're downright loud. Between the noise and the draw and the thinness, I really like them for how odd they are in total - makes me feel like I'm really doing something when stropping, heh.

I'm fortunate enough to have several good strops I've snagged over time, and depending on my mood, I may like smooth and waxy/sticky, smooth and glassy, nappy and rough, or the weird but oddly pleasing kangaroo. The two must-have constants for me are 1) starting with a really well-honed edge in the first place, and 2) doing at least 30 - 40 strokes on quality *flax* linen before anything else. The flax linen is so key that anything after that honestly seems to work equally well, it's down to whatever feel I want when stropping that day.

Since I really started paying attention to the linen phase only last year, any other type of leather strop I follow that with just shines and does better. I can maintain a great starting edge for months, which is really nice after years of not being able to.

Because of the thinness and flexibility are you finding a narrower strop works better or are the wider ones working just as well?

I tend to stick with a narrower width on really thin and supple leathers.

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

Because of the thinness and flexibility are you finding a narrower strop works better or are the wider ones working just as well?

I tend to stick with a narrower width on really thin and supple leathers.

Narrow is better I think. I also have a 3 inch srp roo strop, it cups a bit but lays flat when you lay the razor on it. The narrow one doesn’t have the cupping issue.

I made a 3 inch roo strop when I first started. I cupped pretty quickly but has never caused any issues stropping or with x stroke. My go to strop for my big old FBU

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

Because of the thinness and flexibility are you finding a narrower strop works better or are the wider ones working just as well?

I tend to stick with a narrower width on really thin and supple leathers.

Yeah, Tony-The only really thin non-roo strop I have is a very thin vintage Scotch Shell in a 2.5" width that is one of my finest stropping surfaces. The 'roo in 3" width is already cupping a bit, which I expected, but as others have noted, it's so thin and flexible that it molds to the shape of the razor. Obviously if you get cupping on a thick shell, English bridle or similar, that's going to be more of an issue. Personally, I haven't seen cupping on any well-made thicker strop that was well-supported on each end, modern or vintage, but maybe I've just been lucky.

Had 2 too strops the thin makes it conform, it may cup but not when you lay the razor to it, so hey it’s a non issue, they are tough and like most good quality strops it will do the job, my self I get the same edge off any good strop, it’s mostly about what you like, if you can strop well.

So don’t worry about the cupping, use it if you like the draw. Or if you want a really different smooth edge, “LEAD PASTED STROP”. ‘‘Tis what I use my Ron for.

Funny I just finished making my own roo strop and when looking for a place to post it I found this thread. We even bought the Roo leather from the same seller. I opted to leave it like 4 inches wide to start, I can trim it narrower later if it turns out to be too wide.