Made a strop for my son in Air Force

[spoken36]

My boy is stationed in Little Rock, Arkansas. I taught him to use a straight last spring before enlisting and he really took to it. He misses using a straight razor, and wants me to ship him one, and I couldn't stand to ship the junk strop he had been using, so I made this one. Just finished it and you can see a damp spot still on the edge.

 

[Lmarkow]

What a fantastic strop, I hope your son enjoys it! Well done, Steve!!

 

[Claudel Xerxes]

Nice job, Steve! I imagine that he'll appreciate it even more with the sentimental value. Very cool!

 

[David]

Another nice strop Steve! You have a gift with leather..looks store bought. I'm sure your son will be thrilled.

 

[David]

Maybe a dumb question but why is it wet? Is that part of the process? (I'm clueless when it comes to leather).

 

[spoken36]

Thanks to all you fellas for the kind words.

David, I use water at several steps in the process. That water was from a final cleaning of the fabric and burnishing the edges a little. Working with blackened leather and the black, waxed-linen cord for the hand-stitching gets things all smudged up. Mixing black with un-dyed vegetable tanned leather is not for the faint of heart.

Maybe a dumb question but why is it wet? Is that part of the process? (I'm clueless when it comes to leather).

 

[jlindy]

Nicely done! He should love it!

 

[Mudruck]

That is awesome! I just ordered my first SR and have started to work up my strop. Is that plain linen on the flesh side of the strap? If so, do you use an adhesive like Weldwood to hold it to the flesh side?

 

[David]

Thanks to all you fellas for the kind words.

David, I use water at several steps in the process. That water was from a final cleaning of the fabric and burnishing the edges a little. Working with blackened leather and the black, waxed-linen cord for the hand-stitching gets things all smudged up. Mixing black with un-dyed vegetable tanned leather is not for the faint of heart.

Very interesting. I bought a vintage red imp strop a couple days ago that I use you guys help with. (I've never restored a strop before). I'll post a new thread about it later so I don't sidetrack this one.

 

[spoken36]

Thanks. The fabric is just a cotton webbing. All the fastening is hand-sewn with linen cord. In the third pic you can see a small cord tying the fabric component to the handle. I don't like double handles, and I don't like my fabric hanging down out of reach, so I designed a thumb tensioning system that incorporates a floating attachment as shown in the third picture. I will at times use adhesive to locate pieces to be sewn, but I haven't yet had a reason to laminate the components together.

That is awesome! I just ordered my first SR and have started to work up my strop. Is that plain linen on the flesh side of the strap? If so, do you use an adhesive like Weldwood to hold it to the flesh side?

 

[spoken36]

Whatever help my limited experience can aid you is yours for the cost of its market value

Very interesting. I bought a vintage red imp strop a couple days ago that I use you guys help with. (I've never restored a strop before). I'll post a new thread about it later so I don't sidetrack this one.

 

[Mudruck]

Thanks. The fabric is just a cotton webbing. All the fastening is hand-sewn with linen cord. In the third pic you can see a small cord tying the fabric component to the handle. I don't like double handles, and I don't like my fabric hanging down out of reach, so I designed a thumb tensioning system that incorporates a floating attachment as shown in the third picture. I will at times use adhesive to locate pieces to be sewn, but I haven't yet had a reason to laminate the components together.

Ahh gotcha!! I will be using 5-cord waxed natural linen to stitch mine. I figure good 10-12oz should be thick enough to hold and will give it a good neatsfoot treatment after stitching as well. Thanks for the info on the webbing.

 

[spoken36]

If I had linen web I would have used it, and there are some coticule aficionados here who would use nothing else, but what I have on hand is the cotton stuff, and it does what I want (mainly drying and cleaning), and my wet behind the ears son wouldn't know the difference anyway. If my coticule edge can't handle my chin whiskers, the edge gets a trip to Ark, Lune, or Escher. I am not yet a coticule/linen purist.

Ahh gotcha!! I will be using 5-cord waxed natural linen to stitch mine. I figure good 10-12oz should be thick enough to hold and will give it a good neatsfoot treatment after stitching as well. Thanks for the info on the webbing.

 

[CBLindsay]

I love it! I dream of being able to stitch together a handle and such but to do that i would have to know more about what I am doing. I agree attaching the cotton like that ends the "wagging" of the hanging component while using the other ...very nicely done.

 

[spoken36]

Thanks a lot Chris. The only way I can get it like I want it is to do it myself, most times. I have accumulated the tools over the years, having made sheaths when I was forging knives. I have used a pamphlet by Al Stohlman for my technique, and recently added watching some vids posted by Armitage Leather that helped a lot with some of his tips. If I can do it, you can too.

I love it! I dream of being able to stitch together a handle and such but to do that i would have to know more about what I am doing. I agree attaching the cotton like that ends the "wagging" of the hanging component while using the other ...very nicely done.

 

[Gott543]

It's a beautiful strop. Nice work. I especially like how you attached the linen component for a single handle. A unique idea for sure

 

[spoken36]

Thanks G. One good thing about buying stuff you aren't happy with is that you learn what you really want, but then you'll probably have to make it yourself!

It's a beautiful strop. Nice work. I especially like how you attached the linen component for a single handle. A unique idea for sure

 

[Dadygoble]

I my self was stationed at little Rock assigned to the 19airlift wing 19 maintenance group as a part of an AMU that no longer exists called Knights from 2009 to 2013 befor transferring to the air national guards 145th air wing in Charlotte NC. What exactly does your sone do if you don't mind me asking I was a crew chief on c130 e-h and j models my self.

 

[spoken36]

He is training to be a loadmaster; still doing classes for a couple more months, if I understand correctly. I look forward to hearing from him how the job is once he settles into it.

I my self was stationed at little Rock assigned to the 19airlift wing 19 maintenance group as a part of an AMU that no longer exists called Knights from 2009 to 2013 befor transferring to the air national guards 145th air wing in Charlotte NC. What exactly does your sone do if you don't mind me asking I was a crew chief on c130 e-h and j models my self.

 

[BigJoe]

Very nice.