What's your favorite strop material?

I have several on Microtome strops. All Neil Miller leather. The Bridle with 3 coats of oil is super hard draw. Best to start with heavy blades/wedges. The bridle w/1 coat of oil is great all-around for a heavier draw strop. Both are like velvet.
I particularly like the feel of the European tallow tanned. Harder and firmer, yet pleasant to use. It feels as if it is doing something, and it surely does! Great for larger concaves! I always finish up my after-honing on a russet cowhide strop which I over-oiled a while back. Super light (and oils the bevel good!). I rub it hard with a towel before and after use. The oil is coming out and it is getting better! The towel is getting oily!
On a side note, I like different strops for different razors sometimes. Just like a particular brush for a certain soap. I am going to get another hanging strop. I like using them on heavier wedges. I think I will stay safe and get the lighter-draw bridle. JMO
Tom

Interesting, I never thought about how different strops work with different types of razors. It makes good sense though, the amount of blade contact along with weight of the blade will definitely affect the draw.

The biggest love seems to go for the Cordovan and the Roos but for my next strop its not in the budget. I'm going to try out that Starshaving OVB latigo though as it seems to be an excellent strop for the price :)


Maybe next round i'll try a Cordovan or Roo, but I'll have to be sure I'm ready for it. Accidentally sliced a couple ribbons in my strop this afternoon

I voted Cordovan, but I have 2 strops that I favor. The first is a Neil Miller Horween Cordovan w/real linen. 2nd is the SRD Premium I Leather with webbed material, and I'm not sure what leather it is, it's only described as shoulder leather. What ever razor I'm stropping determines which strop I use.

Regards
Howard

Zib;
I like your No 1, 2 and 4. 4 is also my go to. As you, so I also prefer a minimum draw, I get good results for me that way. Good post.
The best,
Tom

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Originally Posted by SirStropalot

What ever razor I'm stropping determines which strop I use.

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How do you determine which razor needs which sort of strop? Do hollow grinds need less draw and a heavier wedge work better with more? I'm curious as to how these things affect the blade...

Thanks!

My favorite strop, the one I use every day, is an IRS #361. I think it is cow hide, but I didn't see cow as a choice. Unless one of those fancy shmancy "English bridal" whatcha-ma-call-it's is actually cow hide. I dunno.

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Originally Posted by honedright

My favorite strop, the one I use every day, is an IRS #361. I think it is cow hide, but I didn't see cow as a choice. Unless one of those fancy shmancy "English bridal" whatcha-ma-call-it's is actually cow hide. I dunno.

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English Bridle and Latigo are both forms of cowhide - the difference is in the tanning process. Dovo and Jemico and variants of the same are cow leather. The 'rindleder' designation simply means 'cow leather' in german.

'Russian' leather is cowhide. 'Juchten' leather is cowhide.

There is also a 'latigo cordovan' on the market, which is cowhide that has been tanned as latigo then re-tanned using the cordovan process - the trade name for it is chromexel, I think. It's a relatively cheap way to call a cow a horse!

Regards,
Neil

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Originally Posted by SirStropalot

... I'm not sure what leather it is, it's only described as shoulder leather...

Regards
Howard

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Howard, 'shoulder refers to the cut - where the leather came from. Heres a diagram of the cuts obtainable from a cow:

Attachment 108812

You can buy the 'whole hide' or a 'side' as well - the side is simply the whole hide cut in half from tail to head. The belly area is soft and fibrous and not that suitable for strops. The shoulder is thick and strong, but tens to have wrinkles so the surface is usually mechanically milled-off (regularised) and a fake pore pattern imprinted into it.

Regards,
Neil

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Originally Posted by Neil Miller

which is cowhide that has been tanned as latigo then re-tanned using the cordovan process

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Neil, really glad Scott brought this up. I have a HandAmerican 'Old Dog Classic 905' that came with a little brochure. In it Keith says,"Your strop was hand made using full grain horse hide tanned in the Cordovan style by the Horween Co. of Chicago Illinois." So what is the difference between a piece of horse hide tanned with the 'cordovan process' and cordovan shell ? Is the one equal with the other ?

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Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Howard, 'shoulder refers to the cut - where the leather came from. Heres a diagram of the cuts obtainable from a cow:

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Thanks Neil! It's something I haven't read up on to the degree I need to. Mostly i was unsure of which animal it was from, but with the diagram I see that the butt is a much larger than i had envisioned as far as it incorporates a lot of the back. Good info!!!
Thanks again!!
Howard