Boning Leather - Hanging Strop

[beardedrigger]

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.

[Acydtrip]

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

[bikermutt07]

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?

[beardedrigger]

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

[Windrider30]

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

[bikermutt07]

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. 

[Windrider30]

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

[MADMAX22]

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. 

[bikermutt07]

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?

[Windrider30]

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.