Homemade Kangaroo Strop

I love my "Kangaroo" strop (though it's actually just a very nice piece of horse shell), but have wanted an actual "Roo" strop since I tried one at the Asheville meetup years ago:
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Here little buddy-I just want to scratch you behind the ears-honest!
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Anyway, I was going to get one of Gabe's highly-regarded roo strops, but I decided to save some money and make my own. So I got all the hardware from Razor Emporium, and a really nice pre-cut brown roo piece from the Aussie seller "Outthere09." The hardware is basic, workman-like gear, nothing fancy, but sturdy enough to do the job-about what I expected. I suppose I could upgrade the Chicago screws if I want to get fancy, but this was not intended as a fancy piece.

I was pleasantly surprised by the 'roo piece, which got here surprisingly fast, expertly rolled and packaged-just a quality piece for a very reasonable price! At 600x75x1mm, it provides a nice long stropping surface of 21"x3." Really, as everything was pre-cut, it was more assembly than actually making anything. I cut and shaped the corners, and punched the screw holes with a leather punch-easy peasy!
Top end front:
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interestingly, the back side is surprisingly silky, almost like a finely-napped suede, and is also a very fine stropping surface with a totally different character from the front side:
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In practice, it's a very loud, "singing" strop, especially on the front side. It's very thin and strong, and almost feels and functions like a drum head when stretched out. The back side is much quieter and smoother. I've tried it on a few curvy Sheffields, as I know some of you guys like Mike/Outback feel that the deflection of such a thin piece strops those outer curves more efficiently-we'll see what tomorrow's shave says.

Anyway, I'm very happy with this set-up. Not sure yet where it will fall in my stropping "progression" (yeah, I do that lol!), but it's a nice addition, and would probably work just fine on its own. You guys who are posting looking for options for strops, it's just one more way to go. I put about $75 into the materials, for what it's worth. Aaron/SHD

75 is not bad. Nice job on putting it together. 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.

I find myself reaching for that strop, more than any other, Aaron. Always the last strop in a progression, and daily stroppin, mostly.

Love my kangaroo strops. I have the srd one and a travel one that was made by a member here many years ago.

Kangaroo leather has an amazing draw and is my go to choice for final leather. Been thinking about getting a new one to replace my old one whic is over 10 years old.

I have a "Roo" strop from SRD. I ordered a 3" strop and unfortunately, the hide is slightly cupped side to side. It is still usable, but not ideal. I was planning to order a replacement Roo piece and glue the cupped leather to a backing to use for pasted strops. Unfortunately, the replacement was out of stock and they never replenished the inventory. Maybe I will look into the Aussie source you referenced.

Generally, I use several strops in sequence as my stropping progression. I usually start with a heavy draw Latigo strop and then go to a Shell Cordovan and the Roo strops, both of which have medium draw. Then I finish either on a Fast Bridle cowhide, Russet Horsehide, or Novotan Horsehide strop, all of which are very fast draw. I have not done enough controlled experimentation with the strops to know which stropping sequence produces the best edges. With six strops, there are two many possible combinations.

Most old barbers used horsehide. Thats good enough for me! I had an srd roo that cupped badly, a black latigo, big daddy etc. The only leather I haven't given away is my kanayama and an old russian shell strop. I personally don't think it matters what you use. But horsehide is a pleasure to use and maybe that's why they used it.

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Originally Posted by Bill31521

Most old barbers used horsehide. Thats good enough for me! I had an srd roo that cupped badly, a black latigo, big daddy etc. The only leather I haven't given away is my kanayama and an old russian shell strop. I personally don't think it matters what you use. But horsehide is a pleasure to use and maybe that's why they used it.

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As thin as most Roo strops are is cupping really an issue? I would think that it would be supple enough to conform to whatever shape the edge is, straight or smiling. The Roo I have used is quite supple.

+1 Most commercially sold roo hide is very thin. Some of the mountain greys that I've shot in the past had crazy thick hide especially across the spine but even so they always tanned very supple.

For the DIY guys who like slick draw try to score some falconry grade roo. Itz verry niiiizzze.

Also heard veggie tanned roo leather is better than the chrome tanned.

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Also here’s a picture of my travel roo strop. Folds up nice and compact.

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.

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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.

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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 :)
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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.

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.Attachment 319578