Thread: Strop source in Australia?

Originally Posted by mainaman

I remember someone made a strop out of kangaroo leather with success, and I think you guys have that in abundance down there?

ya beat me to it.

Originally Posted by mainaman

I remember someone made a strop out of kangaroo leather with success, and I think you guys have that in abundance down there?

Yeah it's pretty easy to get. I might stick with cow leather though. Cows are bigger, slower moving and easier to hit.

Originally Posted by Legion

I've been reading the tutorials on DIY. And it seems like a strop is just a piece of leather. Am I missing something?

Could it be as simple as me finding some good quality, thick cow leather and suspending a strip of it? Because I can do that...

What I mean is, is there any other preparation that is applied to the leather that makes it special for stropping razors? I'm trying to see why a shop bought strop costs $100. If it was hand made and tooled in some fancy way I get it. Or if there is some special coating applied that I am missing I get it.

But it seems to be just leather. Should I just make one? It might actually be quicker than trying to track one down and ordering it.

Well , yeah it could be just a strip of leather but when you consider strop makers throw out a lot of the hide they buy to get the ideal strip it then becomes a very special strip of leather.
If you make your own it should be cut lengthways near the spine of the hide to get the grain correct & prevent cupping. I've made a few strops in the past but none even come close to a quality strop but yeah to get started you could make something that works ok. On a side note I've only ever bought 2 strops, both expensive but considering the first one has lasted nearly 30 years the cost is relatively minimal.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Well , yeah it could be just a strip of leather but when you consider strop makers throw out a lot of the hide they buy to get the ideal strip it then becomes a very special strip of leather.
If you make your own it should be cut lengthways near the spine of the hide to get the grain correct & prevent cupping. I've made a few strops in the past but none even come close to a quality strop but yeah to get started you could make something that works ok. On a side note I've only ever bought 2 strops, both expensive but considering the first one has lasted nearly 30 years the cost is relatively minimal.

Ah yes. Good advice.

I expect I will buy a expensive one one day. I usually can't help myself

Since this is my first one and there is a chance it will get messed up by my inexperience I am a bit wary of spending too much... but at the same time don't want to be handicapped by junk. Also, I always like the feeling of using something that I have made myself... But then it would be easier to make one if I had one to model it off and to use to work out what changes I might like when I'm custom building one. What to do, what to do?...

Whatever you choose just go lightly & slowly when stropping & practice a lot of the technique with a butter knife & just practice the dexterity of flipping the razor without the strop. That should minimise any accidents.

Give Keith and Joan a call at the Australian Knifemakers Supply.
They have a website, or telephone 08 9572 7255.
They'll have what you need, and are also a good source of very economically priced razors and other shave gear.