Thread: cordovan shell strops

Originally Posted by jaswarb

TBS has put in the time to be an authority. I have used lots of different surfaces to strop without my discerning any differences with the results.

This is true. The results will be the same or really close. OTOH, I also have a lot of strops and I do discern a difference in the feel of the razor on one strop from another. As I've said before, if you have one strop , whatever the draw or lack thereof, you'll get used to it. But if you're inclined to collect the darned things you'll end up liking the characteristics of one, two or three, more than the rest. At least IME.

I may be the one person thinking this, but I do notice a difference in horse butt vs. a softer high draw cow leather.

But it's not on the first shave.

It's on how long the strop will keep the razor in shape. The harder the strop, the longer I've had luck keeping the razor off the hones. The longer the razor stays off the hones, the longer the razor lasts.

I have a kanayama in the closet, but haven't used it yet because it's supposed to be for Christmas. It took a while for my horse butt strip strop to break in and feel smooth and compliant on the surface, it'll be interesting to see how the kanayama compares. I haven't used any of the high $$ harder cowhide strops, either, I'd probably find them favorable if they were harder with less draw, but horse butt strips are so cheap that I can't justify buying anything other than cordovan if I'm going to spend money.

If I were tight on money, I would personally just stick with plain untreated and undyed horse butt strips, cut to a hanging strop size. The cost per strop is about $10 plus hardware for a $2x24 strop if you get decent horse butt.

Any clean strop though, soft or hard, should do a good job of improving an edge right off the hones, though. I am by no means saying that anyone should buy a kayanama strop or a horween shell thinking they'll get a sharper razor right off the stones, and it's possible I might find those expensive strops less favorable than a cheap and already broken piece of horse butt.

Kanayama strops are kind of like walking on an icy surface for the first time. It will be interesting to see how your perspective changes over time DaveW. I have learned that my edges are all fine for me whether I decide to use, roo, cordovan, regular horse butt, bridle leather, Norwegian cow hide or Norwegian bridle leather for stropping. From time to time, after honing for instance, I may use CrOx on balsa or felt, diamond on felt. I also use a Japanese bench strop which is a small rectangular
block of wood with a thin piece of very fine suede covering it.
I am happy to say as a straight shaver I never tire of learning something new from our members. Enjoy.

Going from latigo to horse butt that hadn't seen any oil, that's sort of what I felt like then (walking on ice), too. I felt like I couldn't tell whether the edge of the razor was on the strop or not. Part of the reason I ordered the kanayama was selfish (to try to get a wonderful feeling strop) and part of it was to support an artisan who is plying a trade, and who has been at it for a very long time. I sort of like to let my strops (that are just tanned leather) break in from use and not add any additional oil to them as long as they don't craze (none have so far, but thats out of not many).

AT any rate, I'm hoping it's pretty slick like the horse butt when I do get to use it, though it might be a little bit less slick than that because it feels like it's been oiled a fair bit.

The only real condition for me as far as strops go, despite the preference for hard ones, is that hard or soft, the surface of them is clean and free of any debris that could ding up the edge of a razor, even if it's just dust.

I am looking forward to your thoughts on the Kanayama when you start using it. And I certainly agree in supporting the craftsman who continue producing a world of beautiful efficient strops for us. It has been rewarding to ponder the world of straight razor shaving especially from the time Lynn decided to make the efforts to bring everything public over time. The response of craftsmen the world over coupled with new business ideas have produced an amazing number and variety of
items for wet shavers of all sort. Not to mention the brotherhood that has evolved.

Originally Posted by DaveW

I may be the one person thinking this, but I do notice a difference in horse butt vs. a softer high draw cow leather.

But it's not on the first shave.

It's on how long the strop will keep the razor in shape. The harder the strop, the longer I've had luck keeping the razor off the hones. The longer the razor stays off the hones, the longer the razor lasts.

I have a kanayama in the closet...

It could be less the hardness of the particular strop & more the tanning process (silicates etc.) that makes the horsehide win out. I'm finding my horsebutt to work great for razors lasting, but even after 2 years of use, it's a bit stiff for my taste. Hard to feel what the razor is doing compared to softer, but it does work pretty well in spite of lack of feedback.

Very curious to know your thoughts on the Kanayama when you use yours. It's something I'll probably buy in a month or so.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

This is true. The results will be the same or really close. OTOH, I also have a lot of strops and I do discern a difference in the feel of the razor on one strop from another. As I've said before, if you have one strop , whatever the draw or lack thereof, you'll get used to it. But if you're inclined to collect the darned things you'll end up liking the characteristics of one, two or three, more than the rest. At least IME.

Yea there nothing better then a strop collection of useable vintage strops.

Originally Posted by PA23-250

It could be less the hardness of the particular strop & more the tanning process (silicates etc.) that makes the horsehide win out. I'm finding my horsebutt to work great for razors lasting, but even after 2 years of use, it's a bit stiff for my taste. Hard to feel what the razor is doing compared to softer, but it does work pretty well in spite of lack of feedback.

Very curious to know your thoughts on the Kanayama when you use yours. It's something I'll probably buy in a month or so.

I'll bust it out on my birthday (in a month or so) and post back here, as well as posting back a month later if I can remember - to see if it changes as drastically in a month as the horse butt did.