Recently read about using this type of leather for a strop because it does not compress as much as other types of leather.
I happened to have some laying around that I use for making archery tabs, so I decided to make myself a strop using a piece of it.
I glued a piece of the horse butt to a relatively soft piece of cedar (about 20" X3") and charged it with a very small pinch of 1-2 Micron Diamond dust mixed with a quarter teaspoon of Neatsfoot oil and a small dab of Nikwax shoe treatment.
I spread it on and stuck the whole thing in a warm oven for about 20 minutes.
The bad part is that it didn't absorb very much at all. That type of leather seems to be tanned in a manner to make it waterproof and oil proof. If I tried it again, I would use and even smaller pinch of diamond dust and just the neatsfoot oil- no wax.
The good part is that the strop works great! I have never had any of my straight razors that sharp after stropping about 20 strokes with very light pressure. I use vintage straight razors to shave because the only commercial razor that will shave my neck area without pulling out whiskers and making my neck a bloody mess are the new Gillettes and they are outrageously expensive. If I try to shave with a Bic, Shick or cheap Gillette, my neck is so bloody from hairs being pulled out that I could audition for a horror movie. My old straight razors work good when they are sharp, but this was a different level. Swipe, Swipe and I am done. No fancy techniques. Finished in 30 seconds.
My new Byrd Cara Cara, which came to me dull as a butter knife had already been reground a bit and sharpened on my Sharpmaker and was already sharp, but after a few strokes on that strop, it was the sharpest I have ever gotten any knife by far.
My only question is, "How sharp could I get my knives and razors if I picked up some 1/2 micron diamond dust?
Let me tell you- that horse butt works better than any other leather I have ever tried. It really makes a difference!
Don
I happened to have some laying around that I use for making archery tabs, so I decided to make myself a strop using a piece of it.
I glued a piece of the horse butt to a relatively soft piece of cedar (about 20" X3") and charged it with a very small pinch of 1-2 Micron Diamond dust mixed with a quarter teaspoon of Neatsfoot oil and a small dab of Nikwax shoe treatment.
I spread it on and stuck the whole thing in a warm oven for about 20 minutes.
The bad part is that it didn't absorb very much at all. That type of leather seems to be tanned in a manner to make it waterproof and oil proof. If I tried it again, I would use and even smaller pinch of diamond dust and just the neatsfoot oil- no wax.
The good part is that the strop works great! I have never had any of my straight razors that sharp after stropping about 20 strokes with very light pressure. I use vintage straight razors to shave because the only commercial razor that will shave my neck area without pulling out whiskers and making my neck a bloody mess are the new Gillettes and they are outrageously expensive. If I try to shave with a Bic, Shick or cheap Gillette, my neck is so bloody from hairs being pulled out that I could audition for a horror movie. My old straight razors work good when they are sharp, but this was a different level. Swipe, Swipe and I am done. No fancy techniques. Finished in 30 seconds.
My new Byrd Cara Cara, which came to me dull as a butter knife had already been reground a bit and sharpened on my Sharpmaker and was already sharp, but after a few strokes on that strop, it was the sharpest I have ever gotten any knife by far.
My only question is, "How sharp could I get my knives and razors if I picked up some 1/2 micron diamond dust?
Let me tell you- that horse butt works better than any other leather I have ever tried. It really makes a difference!
Don
