Thread: Strop Leather

I'm thinking about making a 12" by 3" bench/paddle strop and would like some advise. I'm made a few strops for tools out of leather from Woodcraft. I'm not sure if this leather is very good for razors though. All I know is that it's vegetable tanned, which really means nothing to me. I'd understand if it was sun tanned but that's the only tanning process I know of.

There's a Tandy shop on the way to my daughter's house in Nashville and I'm usually up there 3 or 4 times a month. I've been looking at tandy's website and found some Latigo leather that I thought might be okay. I think I've seen latigo strops before but not sure. What would be a good leather for a razor strop and what weight is best?

Thanks and I apologize if this topic has been discussed a zillion times. BTW, I have a hanging strop and balsa strop I got from whippeddog.com. Right now, I'd just feel a little more comfortable with a bench strop that's a little wider than the hanging strop.

I've seen other recomend leather from Tandy's on threads on thus topic before and I know latigo is a common leather for strops. I would wait till your next trip to your daughter's and pick it up maybe a few different kinds also so that you can try them all this would be quite easy if you fashion a bench strop with a surface designed for interchangeable materials as in magnetic or I used industrial velcro.

Fairly new to this world but I can tell you that I also went to the local Tandy shop. Told the guy i wanted to make a razor strop. He immediately told me i needed some vegetable tanned leather (I knew that part), and showed me some scraps he had. They were scraps of tooling leather, about 5mm thick and very stiff; if you've ever done any leather work you know what tooling leather is. In my younger days as a scout, we would wet the smooth side and then use decorative stamps and make nice little whatevers. I thought this leather would be way too stiff from what i had seen on the stropping videos, but i bought a chunk for around 23$, took it home and cut it in strips. I got 2 strips that were 3" and 4" by 20" and another 2"x 16" strip. like i said, it was pretty stiff so I put some neatsfoot oil on it. That leather soaked up the oil in no time, so i put a little more. Long story a bit shorter; before you knew it I had dumped a whole bottle of neatsfoot oil (6 oz or so) in to this one strip of leather! And it was still pretty stiff! And no, it wasn't oozing oil.

Well, I'm still using that strop, on the counter. I don't have it mounted to a piece of wood or anything, it lives on my bathroom window sill. It seems to work, the 2 razors I bought shave ready are still shave ready after 3-4 months. It's a bit more pliable than it was at first, probably because i use it to wipe my fingers with after i put pre-shave oil on, but still no where near as pliable as the strops I see in the videos. I figure I'll just keep using it like i am, maybe someday glue it to a stick with some felt on the other side.

As a side note, I went back to the leather store and bought some latigo because I have heard it makes good strops. The guy cut me strip, rolled it up and put it in a bag for me. When I got it home and took it out of the bag, it had wrinkles from being rolled and unrolled. I've never used it because the wrinkles bug me. They're smooth wrinkles but...

So, for whatever that's worth, there 'ya go.

Originally Posted by deadrift

As a side note, I went back to the leather store and bought some latigo because I have heard it makes good strops. The guy cut me strip, rolled it up and put it in a bag for me. When I got it home and took it out of the bag, it had wrinkles from being rolled and unrolled. I've never used it because the wrinkles bug me. They're smooth wrinkles but...

So, for whatever that's worth, there 'ya go.

It still amazes me that many companies that deal with leather exclusively still have no idea of what will ruin a piece instantly. I am convinced the employees are taught how to sell leather but have never used it for anything in their lives. This goes for big commercial suppliers as well.

There is nothing like getting a large supply of leather and upon unpacking realizing that the hides were perfect right up until they were rolled for shipment.

Tony

I do agree with that Tony, you'd think they were trying to fit them to a mouse hole, they roll them so tightly sometimes. It is a bit too much to ask that they flat pack a hide for shipping though. No one would pay the shipping costs if they did that. They should be told to loose roll them flesh side in though, with a wrapping around the roll to protect from dirt and scuffing. It would save a lot of anguish.


Mick

For those that come after us...

I don't have a Tandy within a day's drive. But, I do have a boot store downtown that does full blown leather repairs as well as selling boots and leather products. I was in a talked to Bob and he's ordering me in some latigo 2" strap that I intend to make a strop out of. If you don't have a Tandy near by, finding another type of leather worker could be your ticket to success w/o having to order online.

Also, my father in law just sent me some scraps he picked up at Hobby Lobby of all places. They're pretty nice, but will need to be cut down and given the once over with a pumice stone. We'll see how they turn out.

Peace,

A few months ago I purchased from Straigt Razor Designs an English Bridle Leather Strop along with a Wool Felt strop to use with Diamond and Cr Oxide. This is without a doubt the finest strop I have used and yes guys I have been straight razors shaving almost 30 years and I know how to Strop. My Wife's Dad is a barber and taught me to strop my razor but I have nicked my strop a few times but I just repair with with a lapping stone and dab on a little neatsfoot. I absolutely reccomend the Elglish Bridle Leather and just used my palms to rub and condition an dit keeps getting better.

Has anybody have any experience with a material so called "hard rolled" leather as a stropping material? I had a hanging strop made of this "hard rolled" cowhide. I have used it only a couple of times only but I didn't find any negative effects on the edges yet. It is very firm and rigid, almost like a piece of thin wood. It has a veery light draw. I read somewhere that the surface of this type of leather is much much smoother than the "normal" leather, so it is nice to use it as a strop. Does anybody know for sure that this hard leather has any negative effects on the edge? The razors make a kind of a singing metal sound when I strop, as if it was a leather hone.

I presume all leather will become softer when used, so I asked the craftsman about how much this particular leather will "break in" with daily usage. The man took a smallish, casual backpack from one shelf and told me to touch it. The backpack was made of thick leather and it felt almost the same as the "hard rolled" leather. He then told me to touch his own backpack - basically a clone of the other one -, which he's been using for quite a while. And that was totally soft and flexible. So probably my strop will also be somewhat softer - but not too much I guess. Is it too bad if I don't treat it with any oil?

Originally Posted by gllh17

I'm thinking about making a 12" by 3" bench/paddle strop and would like some advise. I'm made a few strops for tools out of leather from Woodcraft. I'm not sure if this leather is very good for razors though. All I know is that it's vegetable tanned, which really means nothing to me. I'd understand if it was sun tanned but that's the only tanning process I know of.

There's a Tandy shop on the way to my daughter's house in Nashville and I'm usually up there 3 or 4 times a month. I've been looking at tandy's website and found some Latigo leather that I thought might be okay. I think I've seen latigo strops before but not sure. What would be a good leather for a razor strop and what weight is best?

Thanks and I apologize if this topic has been discussed a zillion times. BTW, I have a hanging strop and balsa strop I got from whippeddog.com. Right now, I'd just feel a little more comfortable with a bench strop that's a little wider than the hanging strop.

Tandy has a lot of different types of leather. Any leather that has a
smooth surface can make a good strop. The hard part in my mind
is getting the paddle shape and dimensions right.

Select a clean bit of leather and glue it to the paddle.
You can sand it a little, a lot or not at all. You can
lightly oil with Kneads Foot Oil, mink oil, strop dressing
or nothing.

A little bit of any dressing helps protect the edge
by leaving a thin layer that slows down rusting
of the edge.

Home made strops can work very well. I have
made many and each one has taught me
something. I highly recommend it if the materials
are easy to come by.

Thanks for the information. Maybe next week I can get by Tandy and buy a few pieces of leather. I've never been to Tandy so I'm not sure what the purchase options are, but I'd like to get a strip of latigo and one or two other smooth leather strips. I like the idea of the magnetic/velcro interchangeable strop. I read leadingedge's post and I think I can do it. I'll probably try a velcro one first since I think I have some on hand.