Thread: cordovan shell strops

[/QUOTE] @Fierce30rus: Thanks for the link buddy, are you sure it is a genuine and reliable cordovan strop?[/QUOTE]

That is indeed a genuine Kanayama strop. They are marketed under many names. That particular in the link comes with
a suede secondary which is an amazing piece of leather for stropping before turning to the cordovan. As you read around here always a light palm rubbing on the cordovan keeps it perfectly.

Keep in mind all quality strops do the same job. No matter the critter or the finish. The difference is in how you feel about it and the luxury mindset. Also they will have a different feel as you use them as well as when you look at them.

I have a #3 and its a fine strop.

I've never had a Kanayama. I do have the Tony Miller 3" premium steerhide and it's my favorite cowhide strop. The Tony Miller has a great smooth, light draw for cowhide. If you want anything lighter you have to go horsehide or shell cordovan.

You can buy a Walking Horse Shell Cordovan strop at The Superior Shave, when he has them in stock. I understand that the only U.S. tannery producing shell cordovan or horsehide is Horween in Chicago. The shell cordovan strops are hard to come by and it's a matter of checking The Superior Shave website frequently. When he does get them in they go fast. Last time he had them in stock I purchased a 3" version, although there were some 2" versions in stock. It is an amazingly light draw.

If you like a light draw you may be happy with a regular horsehide, which is lighter than any cowhide. Both Walking Horse and SRP have horsehide strops made from Horween hides. You'll get a very light draw for less money than shell cordovan. Only you can decide whether the shell cordovan is worth the premium over regular horsehide.

A few weeks ago I got one of the 2" Walkin' Horse cordovan shell strops from The Superior Shave, and it's a world-rocker in my experience. The only comparable experience was when I got my 12k Naniwa. The strop, like the hone, has opened up a new level of expectations from my blades. I like the linen back on the 2" version, too. The main selling point was that the 2" is cheaper, and to be honest, I don't miss the extra half-inch that all my other strops have.

It's hard to believe that anything so slick can do something to steel, but it really does. So far there's no draw to speak of. But there's something going on nonetheless.

Best wishes

I also have a Walking Horse horsebutt strop from The Superior Shave and agree with roughkype that it rocks. I got some neatsfoot oil from SRD, because the advice is to apply it lightly to reduce the slickness. However, I like the slick draw the way it is and have not used the neatsfoot. I strop 50 on cotton and 100 on leather. Lately I've been splitting the 100 on leather, doing 50 on the horsebutt and 50 on the shell cordovan. My reason is to just get a good comparison of the feel for each of them. Right now I can't tell you that I have a preference for the draw one or the other. I can tell you that they both have a great, very light draw (or perhaps no draw at all).

I ended up with two Tony Miller 2 1/2" horsehide strops. I used one daily for quite awhile and then, just for the heck of it, took a very light application of neatsfoot and applied it to that strop. I let it set for a couple of days and went to my other go to strop, an SRD premium 1. The premium 1 has a very light draw but it has some and is about just right for me. The light application of the neatsfoot gave a noticeable increase to the draw on the TM horsehide.

Noticeable but not so much that it suddenly became like a latigo. OTOH I was glad I had the other TM horse because I liked the original draw better than the increase on the other one. So IME the neats foot will definitely give a bit more draw. It will also darken the leather slightly so if you have a blond TM horse it will be as if it were in the 'tanning booth' for a couple of hours. I also applied neatsfoot to a strop I made. A HandAmerican piece of horse butt being the source of the material. Very slick with no draw at all until the neatsfoot application. Even with the neatsfoot it is still a bit slick so I have to get around to doing another round of it.

Finally, I used to do 50 and 50 linen and leather religiously. Of late I've been experimenting with less being adequate. I've found that, for me, 30 to 40 on each surface seems to bring the same results as the 50/50. Some years ago thebigspendur did a couple of threads on stropping. IIRC these threads are titled "the great experiment." TBS knows his strops and he found that going past 60 round trips seemed to be redundant. Anyway, to each his own. We can all do our own 'great experiment' if we are that serious about it.

AF Davis, another fellow who knows his strops, has said that stropping is one of the most important pieces of the straight razor puzzle ....(I'm paraphrasing) and I used to think that was an exageration. Of late I've been working harder on my stropping and I have found that AF is spot on.. Stropping really is as important as honing in the end result. Maybe even more so. IMHO.

Horween advises that the majority of the Cordovan leather goes to the Shoe industry, so we don't see much of it. It is more expensive and a little different animal from a modern day strop standpoint. From a results standpoint, it is no better than many of the other strops out there. I used to use a little neatsfoot oil on regular horsehide, because it starts off so slick, but have gotten away from it. I find that simply palm rubbing the strops until your palm is warm before use provides the best break in, use and maintenance these days.

I have a bunch of Cordovan strops and probably use English Bridle and Roo more than any others these days.

You should be guided by your own budget and preference when it comes to what strop you choose, but as Jimmy indicates, stropping is key to the every day success of wetshaving with a straight razor.

Have fun.

I like every vintage Horse strop i get it's a wonderfully smooth strop.
i do think horse is better then cow.
Do remmber the big thing that will prevent them from rotting drying or cracking
is to oil them.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Keep in mind all quality strops do the same job. No matter the critter or the finish. The difference is in how you feel about it and the luxury mindset. Also they will have a different feel as you use them as well as when you look at them.

I have a #3 and its a fine strop.

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.

In my personal opinion I have to say that I have 1 kanayama and a tony miller 3". In my personal point of view every morning I use both firts the Tony's and 50 stokes with the kanayama. Difference? not that many, Take in consideration your budget because I do belive that the price they ask for that leather its too much at the moment eventhou its a rare and dificult to find leather.
Thanks
K