Thread: What's your favorite strop material?

I love my English bridle. This is my third strop, and for me it's just awesome. It's a 3" with a 21" stroping area. I can't see myself trying anything else until it's cooked or I find an awesome vintage.

I have a bunch, and I like all of them, but there's a few that just stand out, and I use them often. In no particular order they are:

1. Kanayama Cordovan 90,000 (First one made with choice of stamps)
2. Tony Miller Steerhide (Has phenomenal draw)
3. Tony Miller Limited Edition Horsehide 3" (only 8 of these were made, and were not advertised) Draw very similar to Cordovan leather. Not your typical Horsehide.
4. SRD's Premium 1 (This is my favorite, go to strop, has a very supple feel to it.)
5 SRD's Long English Bridle.

I kind of lost my interest in Latigo some time ago. Too much draw for me. These days I like minimal draw. I believe strops and their draw are really personal preference.

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

Originally Posted by SirStropalot

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

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!

Originally Posted by fchan

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!

Hi fchan,
What I was referring to, for me, is mostly preference. I think you'll hear and read this a lot with straight shaving. Shaving, the razor on your face, Feel. Honing, blade on the stone, Feel. Stropping, blade on the linen or leather, but mostly leather, Feel. Sometimes feel is preference, how much draw one prefers, etc.. Honing, especially on Shaptons, you can feel a change in the stroke that tells you it's at or right at finished on that stone. That's not preference, but real feedback. Some can get that same feedback from their strops. Not so much for me.

What I was referring to was more utilitarian. I like to strop square/spike points on the Premium I strop because it's a thicker and sturdier (stiff) leather and I'm less likely to get the occasional scratch on it with the tip than on my shell cordovan which is a much thinner leather, and softer. I also like to hone blades with a bigger smile, like a Charlie Lewis razor, on the Premium I because it has less draw and I can more easily work the angle of the blade to get the whole edge evenly stropped. Hollow and extra hollow I like the cordovan. Like I said, some of it is feel, preference, and some of it is feel, feedback.

For lots of posts on sharpness due to draw, and draw in general, search (sharp draw) There are no end to ideas, opinions and theories on what and how a strop does what it does. Hope this helps.

Best Regards,
Howard

Originally Posted by SirStropalot

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

Regards
Howard

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



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

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:

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

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