Leather is typically tanned using either a vegetable process to make a fairly stiff leather, like what is used for belts. Chromium tanned leather is much softer, and doesn't work for stropping. Leather jackets and furniture are made from chrome tanned hides. Some leather is veg tanned and then partially retanned with chromium salts to make a mix of the two. Some of these will work for stropping, but some won't. Typically you will be using some type of veg tanned leather for stropping.
I have an opportunity to pick up some old paddle strops. The leather looks bad, but if the wooden frame is usable it may worth having Drygulch replace the leather. It looks like it's only 1 or 2 inches wide and maybe 12 inches long. I will send pics when the shop is open on Wednesday.
I seem to have wandered into a forum of like minded individuals... Will there be a group buy of those Kermit strops?
The Kermit, Ms. Piggy and Fozzy hides are available in bulk all year. The Suffleupagus are rare in that not many brave the cold tundra to hunt the mammoths. There is rumored to be Monster hides for strops as well. Supposedly a Monster was caught and shackled but escaped. And then there is the legendary " Weirdo ", Gonzo. They are able to blend in with us aside from there blue fur and large hook like noses they wear clothes like we do but often go by undetected . They are often seen with pet chickens. Based upon rarity and time of year these can be priced quite high and many ships with these as cargo have been pirated more than once for there booty and the goods in there poop deck. P.s. somewhere around here is the true story of why part of the Statue of Liberty is off limits* as told by me of course. Well time to post my SOTD picture.
