Advice please on type of leather for a strop

[Elines]

I want to make myself some new strops. The leather will be glued to a rigid board.

An e bay supplier has offered me two types of leather:

(1) 3.5mm thick x 2.25" wide in English natural veg tan

(2) 'Thick' chrome leather which has a 'rough' finish (no dimensions yet)

Could someone advise which is likely to be most suitable for stropping, or isn't the type of leather important?

The prices are roughly the same but I get a lot more of the 'veg tan', and unless there is big quality difference (in terms of suitability for stropping) my inclination is to go with that.

Could I have some views please

 

[The Big Lebowski]

The thinner the better.... 1mm is hard wearing and less likely to convex/round off the edge (if that's what you want to avoid)

Goat skin/leather's good stuff too

 

[Mesquite]

Chris,, save your money.

I've got a load of leather I skinned off a leather suite. It's perfect for making into strops if you don't mind them being blue . If you're interested then you're more than welcome to enough to make a few strops

 

[Elines]

Steve - thanks for the offer - colour is not important but ......

I already have some leather sample books from furniture superstores and I thought that type of leather would be too THIN. Its about 2mm thick. If that is ok for strops then I could set up a business with what I have got!

I thought the thicker the better (shows how much I know!!) Not sure why I thought that - perhaps because when you scrape off the compound you are (I guess) removing the leather as well.

As I have said before I used grinding paste by mistake on my existing strops and so I want to continue with the grinding paste on them and use 'proper' paste on a new strop. Its just that I have got a new knife and I want to look after it as well as I can,

 

[udamiano]

Chris,

As steve said use the stuff you got, it will be ideal. Glue the leather to a piece of flat wood, to make a really good strop, That how I do it.
I have a tonne of stropping compound if you wanted some to try if first, different types and grades.
TBL did a really good tube video on stropping not long ago.

Day

 

[Elines]

Strange..... I thought I had already replied to your last post Damian - anyway here goes again ....

Thanks for the additional confirmation that I can use what I already have. I have some 'proper' compound now as well so should be ok - I have also been advised to have a go at a final strop with toothpaste and so will give that a go too.

I will then have a set of at least 5 strops if I need to use them:

flesh side with coarse chimico
flesh side with fine chimico
skin side with fine chimico

(I have been using above on my Moras with good results)

flesh side with blue poo
?skin side with blue poo
flesh side with toothpaste

and that will be after building up to 5000 grit W&D - so should be sharp enough if my technique is anything like gud enuf!

So thanks to all for saving me some £s - these days I generally try to get advice before I buy stuff so glad to see the policy is working

 

[The Big Lebowski]

5000 W&D may be a little overkill... But its your call

3000 takes most of my stuff to rough shaving sharp, finishing with the blue poo!

 

[craeg]

If you wanted to try some veg tan I have both split and full hide veg tan. Send me the size of your board (mine is 12" x 1½") and your address and I will send you aome to save your money

 

[Elines]

.......................... But its your call

3000 takes most of my stuff to rough shaving sharp, finishing with the blue poo!

To say its 'my call' makes it sound as though I know what I am doing!

In practice I muddle through and sometimes it works.When it does I stick to it - a bit like the Aborigines who allegedly believed a woman got preganant because they had passed a sacred place.

Thanks again for your help - including that in PMs

 

[Elines]

If you wanted to try some veg tan I have both split and full hide veg tan. Send me the size of your board (mine is 12" x 1½") and your address and I will send you aome to save your money

Thanks for the offer - in the first instance I will try out the freebie leather samples I already have and take up your offer if that doesn't work

And once again I am impressed with the helpfulness of so many people on this site