DIY Strops

Hello All,

I'm wanting to get started with straights, I've been using DE's for over a year now. Here's the deal....I'm a cheapskate...especially starting out. So....do you have any recommended sites and or vendors to buy stuff for making your own strops?

I've searched through the archives a bit here and found some helpful stuff, but I was wondering if some of you who have made your own strops might weigh in on the process and your results. Can you make your own strop that is going to be anywhere near as good as one you can buy?

Thanks for your time.

--Matt

I bought one of these off of EBay and have been very happy with it. http://cgi.ebay.com/STROP-FOR-STARI...39:1|240:1318|301:1|293:1|294:50#ht_549wt_973

I do not think you can find a simple piece of leather for any less, so unless you already have a useable piece of leather, you are going to get by cheaper and with a whole lot less effort with something like this in my estimation. I did take the metal hardware off the end and just ran a strong cord through the hole in the end of the strops to hand it form a wall hook.

If I could have found a piece of belting leather for cheap enough or even just an old belt that was wide enough and otherwise of the right kind of leather, I think I just have gotten by with that, too. I am glad I did not get a really good strop right away. Turns out that it is very easy to forget what one is going and come back the wrong way, and that is pretty hard on a nice piece of leather. I feel like I am expert enough now to be reasonable good to a nice strop and I may get a nice Chicago or similar strop. More for looks than for useability, I would think. But as far as ability to too strop, this does about as good a job as anything, I would think. We are talking hanging, unpasted strops here right? Real easy to make your own paddle strop.

I made my own.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=78225

mdunn said:

i made my own pasted balsa paddle strop

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Very nice....very simple too. Thanks for the info.

--Matt

mdunn said:

i made my own pasted balsa paddle strop

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Me too. But you are not substituting a pasted paddle strop for a leather hanging strop are you?

Used for rather different purposes usually, to my knowledge. Nice to have both.

I just wanted to post about DIY strop, but found this one right away, so I'll stay here.
So, I want to make my own strop. What kind of leather is best to use? From what animal, how thick it should be, what side to use?

br
bala nemate

I gave my only strop to my mate for his birthday and have been using a reasonably wide belt since then. I do need to get a strop and will probably go for the std leather-only Dovo one, but the belt's been doing an ok job in the meantime.

cstrother said:

Me too. But you are not substituting a pasted paddle strop for a leather hanging strop are you?

Used for rather different purposes usually, to my knowledge. Nice to have both.

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yes indeed. the balsa is just for pasted.

bala nemate said:

I just wanted to post about DIY strop, but found this one right away, so I'll stay here.
So, I want to make my own strop. What kind of leather is best to use? From what animal, how thick it should be, what side to use?

br
bala nemate

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The most common leathers used are cowhide and horse hide tool leather. The leather should be the top grain and from the shoulders or rump. Leather from the belly or sides will be much inferior. To prevent cupping, 8-9oz leather is desirable. It is still workable and not to heavy to cause tool problems. Oil/wax treated leather will resist moisture. Oak or vegetable tanned leathers can be treated with leather conditioners to help prevent cupping. They will also respond well when rubbed/worked with your hand.

kenrup said:

The most common leathers used are cowhide and horse hide tool leather. The leather should be the top grain and from the shoulders or rump. Leather from the belly or sides will be much inferior. To prevent cupping, 8-9oz leather is desirable. It is still workable and not to heavy to cause tool problems. Oil/wax treated leather will resist moisture. Oak or vegetable tanned leathers can be treated with leather conditioners to help prevent cupping. They will also respond well when rubbed/worked with your hand.

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Ken,

Great of you to weigh in on this. Respect!

What do you think of a roughed up piece of thick belting leather as a hanging strop? I can definitely see the desire not to have your strop cup. I suppose one could get some uneven stropping if it were cupped.

How about differences between horse hide and steer hide, with the idea being that horse hide is smoother with less draw and thus better for real finishing work and not so good to have as your only hanging strop?

After reading someone's post on a true cordovan strop, I am impressed! Cordovan seems like amazing stuff whether for shoes or strops.

Channing

Meant to ask this, what would you say "tool" leather is? Relatively thick leather that one could carve into or tool? Thanks so much.

cstrother said:

Meant to ask this, what would you say "tool" leather is? Relatively thick leather that one could carve into or tool? Thanks so much.

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Tooling leather means it can be worked or tooled. Horsehide is by far the most desirable leather, but the most difficult to work with and much more expensive.

cstrother said:

Ken,

Great of you to weigh in on this. Respect!

What do you think of a roughed up piece of thick belting leather as a hanging strop? I can definitely see the desire not to have your strop cup. I suppose one could get some uneven stropping if it were cupped.

How about differences between horse hide and steer hide, with the idea being that horse hide is smoother with less draw and thus better for real finishing work and not so good to have as your only hanging strop?

After reading someone's post on a true cordovan strop, I am impressed! Cordovan seems like amazing stuff whether for shoes or strops.



Channing

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Rough leather is what a Russian strop basically is. It give a very heavy draw. I personally don't care for them.

My daily strop is one of my Paladins (horsehide) that has a velvety suede draw. I don't use a linen or canvas strop.

BTW, Cordovan leather is horsehide.

kenrup said:

Rough leather is what a Russian strop basically is. It give a very heavy draw. I personally don't care for them.

My daily strop is one of my Paladins (horsehide) that has a velvety suede draw. I don't use a linen or canvas strop.

BTW, Cordovan leather is horsehide.

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So interesting. Thanks. I did know that Cordovan was horsehide. Cordovan is such a very special and wonderful leather!

what side of leather to use for stropping? one witch looks like suede or the plane one?

br,
marius

Normally the smooth side is used for finish stropping. The rough side works great for pastes.

kopio said:

I'm a cheapskate...especially starting out.

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you have expensive tastes, the cheapest way is to buy it

I just picked up a nice piece of leather from my local tack shop. How should I attach it to the board to make a strop to be used with chromium oxide? I have seen some people attach it with rubber cement, and others stretch it across the board and stable it at both ends. Is either of these methods better than the other, or do any of you have a better suggestion?

Heyday said:

I just picked up a nice piece of leather from my local tack shop. How should I attach it to the board to make a strop to be used with chromium oxide? I have seen some people attach it with rubber cement, and others stretch it across the board and stable it at both ends. Is either of these methods better than the other, or do any of you have a better suggestion?

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Contact cement works great. It is used in western saddlemaking extensively.
I've made a couple paddle strops for myself. I made the base (mesquite wood) very flat, placed contact cement on both mating surfaces, then compressed the paddle between two flat slabs of granite for 12 hours. Came out pretty nice.
I'm sure there are plenty ways to do it, but this is one that seemed to work.
Good luck