Thread: DIY strop leather

Rob, I'm no expert but you don't want to get anything from the belly or shoulders. Be mindful of unnatural folds, you can test this by folding it it. If it's got the natural U-shape and does not crease in such a way then it's good.

Originally Posted by rickboone

Anyway to get or does it exist already photos of what not to get in a piece of leather? I have no clue what some of the things are that were cautioned to look for. Thus, not sure what a quality piece of leather will look like

It's difficult finding good section to use because the 5-7oz, 7-9oz, at least in my experience yielded wrinkled, lacerated, cupped leather and so on. These were pre-priced and pre-cut leather. That's nature of beast when dealing with "natural" element. Only then was I able to fully appreciate the quality and craftsmanship that goes behind strops with likes of Kanayama and Tony.

Just hope the manager in your location is more tolerant of having a pre-priced section cut out for you.

Keep an eye out for bug bites or markings. It's hard to notice but it becomes more evident when water is present: