First Homemade Leather Strop

JSMcustoms

JSMcustoms

Joined
Feb 2, 2012
Messages
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I just finished making my first leather strop and I feel like it came out really well. The block is stained a dark brown and has a nice piece of vegetable tanned leather attached to the top. It should work really well. It measures 8 inches long by two and a half inches wide.


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Nice job. The leather looks like the smooth side is down. I tend to use the smooth side up. It might be backwards. :eek:
 
It's flesh side up. The nap is just the smoothest I've ever seen on a piece of leather, but it still takes compound really, really well. Time to see how well it works.
 
I've been experimenting with the different sides of leather for strops, and the closest I can see, anecdotally, is the difference between an interrupted pattern diamond plate and full coverage. The blade is only going to make contact with the higher parts of the flesh side, while it will make contact with all of the skin side. Perhaps the difference of 2-3 strokes while stropping?


Stitchawl
 
The flesh side tends to take compound better in my experience and this one works really well.
 
Looks really nice, congrats! I think it will work very well. I'd say a very light coat of compound and very light pressure while stropping will bring out the best on that strop because the leather is thick and the nap is thick. Let the fibers of the nap do the work, with very little compound on it, and do not use any pressure while stropping, and I think that strop will work very well.
 
Looking good. I tried ordering some leather for strop making but it was not nice and smooth like that. The strands on top were really long.
 
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