Thread: Alternate cheaper strop

After looking at the prices of leather strops, both here and on eBay, why couldn't a guy go to the local Tandy Leather store and get a 3 x 24" piece of nice leather? It would be much easier, cheaper and quicker than ordering over the Net. I am a newbie so if I ruin it, so what. I have a leather sewing machine so I can alter or add to it as I please. Opinions?

I'm not sure what the cost of the leather would be but if it is significantly cheaper give it a try. Go for something approximately 1/8 thickness if I were you. The pro strops from SRD, Tony Miller and others are really special and not just a piece of leather though.... IMO.

Pretty new myself, jtb, but I have read a lot of threads where guys have said pretty much the same thing. A strop doesn't have to be fancy to do the job. I read about a guy using a strip of denim and getting good results. I cut my first strop badly, so a $5 piece of leather would have been a good idea to learn on. Having said that, I really love my new SRD 3" latigo strop!

Warm regards,

Larry

For fabric part i really like the feel of an old seatbelt
If you pick the right piece of leather i think you may be off to a good start

Originally Posted by janivar123

For fabric part i really like the feel of an old seatbelt
If you pick the right piece of leather i think you may be off to a good start

+1, I have some shoulder harness I got from a friend who is a mechanic for Roush Racing and it is pretty cool and 3" wide as well.

Originally Posted by jbtusa

After looking at the prices of leather strops, both here and on eBay, why couldn't a guy go to the local Tandy Leather store and get a 3 x 24" piece of nice leather? It would be much easier, cheaper and quicker than ordering over the Net. I am a newbie so if I ruin it, so what. I have a leather sewing machine so I can alter or add to it as I please. Opinions?

You can ... but...

I just made myself some Tandy strops and I recommend the 2 1/2"
leather. You want longer than 24" to make a hanging strop. Tandy
has some bits that are long enough to make two strops.

You will quickly want to dress it and oil it.

I made four strops a month ago but find I am still reaching
for my Illinois 827 and appreciate it more and more.

The new strops work well and will eventually settle in.
Half will get pasted... Canvas and hangers are
hard to find. Ask me more in a year.

I did learn a lot in the process and expect I will learn more.
I now have a better appreciation for the value of a
fine well made strop.

I do recommend the project...

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I'm not sure what the cost of the leather would be but if it is significantly cheaper give it a try. Go for something approximately 1/8 thickness if I were you. The pro strops from SRD, Tony Miller and others are really special and not just a piece of leather though.... IMO.

Exactly ! Sure anyone can make a sort of strop but a well made strop even takes into account the direction of the leather's grain.

About any piece of smooth finished leather will work fine in my opinion. It doesn't even have to be a strip that can be hung. A hanging strop is convenient, and takes up little room. But, is not required.

I have stropped plenty on a 4" x 9" piece of leather I bought at a hobby store. (It is smooth, finished leather to be used for tooling.) Just put it on the edge of a table, and strop away.

You will slice up your first strop. Why not slice up a piece of leather. After a month or two, buy a nice strop.

Tandy does sell latigo leather. If you talk to a local saddle maker (they exist everywhere and yes even in big cities) they can help you with grain direction. Mine was a scrap in my saddlemakers' bin. Quite a few of the older guys have made plenty of strops in their day. I also used an old pair of jeans for my "shredder"

Yes - go for it!

A number of us here have done the DIY strops. (I'm still using mine - successfully and happily). Not expensive either if you're close to a leather merchant.

It's very satisfying to use something you've made yourself too.

All the best,
Michael