So it occurred to me, that one of my friends does leather work. He is into the pioneer thing. He makes holsters, vests, belts, bullet holders and other cowboy/pioneer day type stuff. I was going to see if he could make me a strop. He has all sorts of leather but is unsure of what kind to use for making a functional strop. He is super talented in leather craft, so he wants it to work as good as it looks.. Any information would be super helpful, thanks!!
There are many types of leathers used in making strops. Horsehide, Russian Leather, English bridle leather, etc... Each one has different properties and draw speed. I expect Adam, @Drygulch could give you more info based on what your needs are.
He shouldn't have any trouble getting a strop put together for you. You want either Vegetable tanned, Latigo, or Bridle leather. Either horse or cow will work. What leather it is will affect the amount of draw. Draw is the resistance you feel when you strop a razor, it gives a different feel, but all does the same thing. Ranked from most draw to the least: Latigo, Bridle, Veg Tan Cow, Veg Tan Horse. He will want from 8-12 oz for thickness. Anything thicker and it is hard to keep supple, anything thinner will cup or stretch. Big things for a quality strop are clean grain on the leather, and it should be from the back of the hide on a cow hide, no belly leather. No cracked grain, large scars, or fat wrinkles. The other thing that really helps it so make sure the edges are rounded, as this keeps the razor from just riding the sharp corners of the leather.
Awesome! Thanks for the info, I really appreciate it!! Would the leather need to be treated? Or are the oils from tanning enough?
I don't treat the leather on the strops I make, as long as it isn't dried out. Basically, you need a flat and smooth piece of leather with rounded edges that you can strop on. Finding a good secondary element can actually be harder than the leather.