Thread: How to make a custom strop?

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

reality may be,you may not need the fabric/canvas,at all.

You know I thought I read somewhere in one of those "How to for Barbers" articles that the linen was to clean the blade before going to the leather. I also noticed that board strops never have canvas on them.
Notice the back side of the strop on the left ? Soft as goat and texture like a wash board.

I got some horse from Keith De Grau (HandAmerican) a few years ago and made a razor strop and a couple of guitar straps. At the time Keith also sold the proper swivel hardware for the top. Keith gave me some tips on treating/conditioning the leather which I was asked to keep to myself.

I only mention it to stress that, in comparison with professionally made strops, there is way more to it than meets the eye. If anyone has a Neil Miller horsehide strop you'll know what I mean. Pro strops from Kanayma, Neil, SRD, or Tony Miller are not just a piece of hide cut in a rectangle. The finishing process that the strop makers use has an effect on the way the strop works. OTOH, my homemade strop works well enough. I used a vintage canvas for the flip side BTW.

Couldn't agree more - my homemade ones hang right next to a Tony Miller and it is *very* apparent what kind of difference to fit and finish the pro touch makes!

I would venture a guess that after any strop,homemade or custom,of any type of quality leather is well used and broken in (I hate new strops any demonstrable differance would be impossible to detect.JMO.

How much would that cost, and what does bb mean?

I have been making strop from a variety of materials for years, many from leather. Tandy does have all that you will need, but as advised, do go and buy your leather in person.
Tandy also sells scraps or pieces for rather good prices. I bought a nice piece of black Latigo, that I was able to get 4 nice strops out of. Try some Chicago Screws to attach your rings, they sell them in a 10 piece pack for 3-4 dollars and make experimenting and swapping belts and rings easy.

I have also made strops from a variety of cloth, nylon and polyester fabrics and strapping. Nylon & Polyester are great for strops and I do believe can replace leather and in some cases better than leather, depending the edge.

Lately one of the best “fabric” stopping material I have been testing is Polyester Sailcloth. You can buy a yard for 10-20 bucks from a fabric store. (They have sales all the time, sometimes as much as 50%) from a yard you can get a bunch of strops. Sailcloth is amazing great for pasting.

I also have experimented with treating leather and against all advice here, have used almost anything I could to treat the leather, including WD40. Yes, I know… but it does work and well. Ballistol is one my favorites.

I have all the leather tools, bought a complete set at a yard sale, 3 big boxes of stamps, punches, hammers, knives pretty much every tool in the Tandy catalog and more, for a hundred bucks. But to cut strops I like a Utility Razor Knife and metal straight edge. I do remove and strop the blade on a variety of paste ending with .25 diamond. The toothy diamond edge seems to cut cleanest and best.

Strop making can be somewhat addicting, I am now making strops from a paper fabric pasted with a variety of Nano spray polishing compounds. So think outside of the box and have fun.

I do also have high end commercial strops, though I rarely use them. I haven’t stropped on leather in months.

Strop making is indeed addicting, with ANY quality pce of leather you can make a simple strop in 25 mins.At the end of the day as a tool. it will do all you ask of it(strop your razor)Or you can go nutz as I do and spend 25+ hrs, making a strop In this case a loom.Componants are Black Latigo,some of the finest Cocobolo I have ever seen.water Buff horn,Fossil steller sea cow bone and pre-ban elephant Ivory.
Over the top without question,But alot of fun and nobody got killedmore pics to follow,really had alot of fun with this one.

That is a beaut pixelfixed.