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Posted

I've been trying to research how to best make a hanging strop for use with a straight razor and came across some info mentioning that good strops are boned as opposed to just cut strips of leather. I couldn't find any info as to what that means when applied to a strop though as most of my searches brought up boning of gun holsters. So, is it just smoothing out the leather in this application? Is there a specific technique? Any help would be appreciated. Also, feel free to add any tips or tricks you use when making hanging strops.

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Posted

Let me start by saying I do not know for sure...  That said, it sounds like something I ran into decades ago when I made some strops for myself and my father (some hanging, some backed). If you cut a strip, apply some rouge, put it to use, you have a fairly uneven surface. Dad's method was to then take that, apply some spit, a blade, and elbow grease (usually wood carving knives) and after a handful of uses, it was nice and smooth and fairly even. If you're doing one for razors with a nice thin edge, they won't have the heft of a thick blade like for chip carving, and the roughness may cause an issue. Thus, boning/burnishing initially would smooth things out a bit and present a smooth and even finish from the start.  Like I said, don't take it as gospel, just my thoughts and experience.

Trip

Posted

This is a total guess..... I have seen some people case their leather and then take a glass slicker to before tooling. They mentioned that evened out the grain side. Maybe that's what they mean by boning?

I'm not paying 80 bucks for a belt!!! It's a strip of leather. How hard could it be? 4 years and 3 grand later.... I have a belt I can finally live with.

Stitching is like gravy, it's only great if you make it every day.

From Texas but in Bossier City, Louisiana.

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Posted

Thanks for the responses. Still hoping someone who knows can chime in. 

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Posted
On ‎7‎/‎08‎/‎2016 at 1:13 AM, bikermutt07 said:

This is a total guess..... I have seen some people case their leather and then take a glass slicker to before tooling. They mentioned that evened out the grain side. Maybe that's what they mean by boning?

I have used a glass slicker on a few things and it makes the leather rather stiff (tried it with a bracelet wrong idea lol) and really does smooth things out. As for boning the only kind of boning I know is for corsets, and those are either steal or plastic bones that are used to give the corset the vertical hold that cloth needs

Posted
2 hours ago, Windrider30 said:

I have used a glass slicker on a few things and it makes the leather rather stiff (tried it with a bracelet wrong idea lol) and really does smooth things out. As for boning the only kind of boning I know is for corsets, and those are either steal or plastic bones that are used to give the corset the vertical hold that cloth needs

Well, the guy wasn't slicking/burnishing it though. He just gently pushed it around the grain side and then started carving. 

I'm not paying 80 bucks for a belt!!! It's a strip of leather. How hard could it be? 4 years and 3 grand later.... I have a belt I can finally live with.

Stitching is like gravy, it's only great if you make it every day.

From Texas but in Bossier City, Louisiana.

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Posted
38 minutes ago, bikermutt07 said:

Well, the guy wasn't slicking/burnishing it though. He just gently pushed it around the grain side and then started carving. 

I have found with what little carving that I have done if I burnish it with the glass slicker it seems to make it easier to carve as well as seems to go a little deeper but that could just be me

Posted

You can use a glass slicker or even the plexiglass ones. Case your leather then run the slicker over it in one direction. It will tighten and smooth things out. 

A better option is just use some vegtan horse butt. It is very dense and smooth and makes an excellent strop. 

Posted
1 hour ago, MADMAX22 said:

You can use a glass slicker or even the plexiglass ones. Case your leather then run the slicker over it in one direction. It will tighten and smooth things out. 

A better option is just use some vegtan horse butt. It is very dense and smooth and makes an excellent strop. 

But the question remains..... Is this boning?

I'm not paying 80 bucks for a belt!!! It's a strip of leather. How hard could it be? 4 years and 3 grand later.... I have a belt I can finally live with.

Stitching is like gravy, it's only great if you make it every day.

From Texas but in Bossier City, Louisiana.

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Posted
14 minutes ago, bikermutt07 said:

But the question remains..... Is this boning?

Ok from what I can find out yes this would actually be considered boning. Seems "boning" has two purposes and traditionaly an actual bone was used it would seem to help polish out a dye to help give it a smoother look. I have seen one thing on youtube where they are using a "bone" (metal rod) to put details into a wet formed holster so basicly boning a strop would be the same thing as using a glass slicker..with out the bone.

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