Now that I have your attention . What is the different kinds of leather that can be used for strops ? I'm sure some are better than others. what do you look for in the leather? I've seen videos on how to attach the leather to paddles but they don't go over the difference or qualities of the leather. Thanks all.
Hey, something I know about! Leathers that are suitable for stropping are typically vegetable tanned or treated after vegetable tanning with oils and waxes to make Latigo or Bridle leather. There are also types of leather like Horween's Chromexcel which are partially retanned with chromium. In strops, you want to look for a smooth leather surface. Everything else is YMMV. Draw, the amount of resistance you feel when you drag a razor across the stop, will vary between different types of leather, but IMHO is only a preference thing. Finish details on the stop, such as rounded and burnished edges and handles are what will determine the price, and are also a personal preference thing. I like a three inch wide strop that is 18- 24 inches long. I also prefer higher draw like Latigo. Horsehide is a low draw option that is very popular.
Thank you for the wonderful knowledge. You even answered questions I had thought of but had yet to ask. But when it comes to paddle strops. Same strop just minus the metal and on wood ? Does the lack of bowing affect draw or anything?
Leather There are several types of leather commonly available, the main types being cowhide and latigo. Horsehide (also known as "shell") used to be widely available, but is not commonly encountered anymore except on the continent and in the US, where they are less squeamish about our four-footed friends. Ordinary horshide is very supple and smooth and tends to give very little draw - this makes it hard to obtain a satisfactory edge. Premium grade horsehide - shell - on the other hand is one of the best materials for a strop. Shell - real shell, that is, is very expensive. It comes from Cordoba originally, from the rump of the horse, and a good shell is said to furnish enough leather to make one pair of shoes. To reduce the price (and increase the length of the strop) the lesser leather at the sides of the shell are used. "Russian" strops can also be had - the name comes from the long, slow method of tanning the leather employed in Russia, usually using birch oil and a deep red dye. This type of strop is usually mechanically compressed, having a textured side for preliminary stropping and a flat side to finish on. The leather is usually hard and stiff. Cowhide is fine for strops - providing that it is vegetable tanned and has no artificial surface ("chrome") finishing. It can give a very fine finish to a razor, and can have very little "draw" unless treated with conditioners or oils. "Draw" refers to the drag on the blade that you feel while stropping, so a strop with very little draw gives you the feeling that the razor is slipping across the surface, while a strop with very heavy draw tends to grab and slow down the razor. Latigo is a fine choice for a strop - for me, it has just the right amount of draw due to the way it is processed - it is vegetable tanned, then the tanner heavily impregnates it with oils, then it is hand buffed to produce a soft-surfaced, slightly stretch moisture resistant leather.
The leathers for paddle strops would be the same. Having it on wood ensured you have a flat surface, and don't have to worry about the right amount of tension when you pull it taught.
I thought I ought to mention that one pulls things taut, at least that's what I was taught. Paddle strops are ideal for those learning to strop as it saves your 'new' hanging strop from suffering unwanted nicks, slices and cuts as one learns the method.
Since Dr. Bunsen Honeydew is a confirmed but amiable psychopath, Beeker has probably already been skinned, filleted, drawn and quartered, nuked, you name it. As one who knows less about strops than anyone on this board, this thread is very educational. How exactly is leather impregnated with chromium, and what does that do?
