Is Latigo any good for making a strop

[Ferryman]

Hi

 

I have just been given a few bits of Latigo and wondered if it would be any good for making a strop.

[fredk]

I don't know of any reason it would not do

[Ferryman]

Well I have made a double sided strop using the Latigo and loaded one side with Cannings Green Compound so we will see how it goes.

[battlemunky]

Actually, Latigo leather is nearly how I got introduced to working leather. I needed a strop for a straight razor and found that all the good ones for sale are made from latigo. Being prohibitively expensive, I got to looking at making my own and found that Tandy had some and ended up buying some other stuff and made my own strop.

Long story shortened a bit, it can be argued that Latigo IS strop material. But then, the argument can be made that shell cordovan ($$$$$) is as well.

[Arturomex]

Look forward to your report on this.

My big criteria when I'm making a strop is the firmness of the leather. I think that softer tempered leathers tend to "curl" around the blade and I don't think they deliver optimum performance.

I use 3 X 3/4 inch milled oak for my blanks. I buy four or six foot boards at a box store and have them cut it into 12 inch lengths on their saw. I use contact cement to glue a slightly oversize piece of leather onto the blank leaving 3 1/2 inches bare on one end. After I have the leather affixed I roll it with my kitchen rolling pin making sure the edges and two corners are on tight and then trim at the edges of the blank. I usually go grain side up with the hardest, firmest 2 to 3 or 3 to 4 ounce veg tan I can find. Depending on what I'm doing, I will put olive oil on a strop before applying a compound like white rouge. I find that after a while the oil has a tendency to soften the leather a bit and I watch closely for sponginess. (Again, the curl around the blade.)

Regards,

Arturo

Edited February 21, 2020 by Arturomex

[Ferryman]

I followed ART's instructions at the beginning of this thread and used a little neatsfoot oil when I loaded the strop.

[Ferryman]

well here is the finished item.

[Arturomex]

Looks great! How is it working for you?

Regards,

Arturo

Edited February 22, 2020 by Arturomex

[Ferryman]

works great so far.

I do not have a round knife so the 2.5" width is not a problem.

I will make the next one wider

 

Edited February 23, 2020 by Ferryman

[sinpac]

I found this one years ago and I still use it. Definitely homemade, dated 1923

[Ferryman]

Mine is not dated but belonged to my late father in law

[sbrownn]

The really high end straps are made with shell cordovan leather.

[Hardrada]

I got a side of latigo and was wondering about this too. I'm feeling kinda 'ouch' because my strop requires a piece of leather 22" x 3.5" and the side of 7 oz latigo was $310 CAD, but if latigo is the best I can muster I guess I'm gonna go that route. I also have some W&C English bridle—would that work better?

Edited June 19, 2020 by Hardrada

[battlemunky]

@Hardrada, newspaper will work so there really is no "wrong", just different levels of fancy. I use a pasted strop for my straight razors and my leather tools, and have yet to damage either, so its just the flesh side of some veg-tan with green paste on it. I've glued the hair side to a piece of oak even, making a paddle strop. I prefer a paddle strop to a strap strop just because it is easier to maintain form on a paddle and that helps keep from rolling the edge, especially for straight razor stropping. For leather tools/knives/other hardier blades I don't think it matters too much unless the blade gets ridiculously thin like a straight razor's does.

[Hardrada]

Stoopid question before I make the strop: which side on top? Grain side or flesh side?

[Northmount]

16 hours ago, Hardrada said:

Stoopid question before I make the strop: which side on top? Grain side or flesh side?

I've seen both.  The flesh side may hold more rouge or stropping compound than the grain side.

Tom

[Hardrada]

Thanks, Tom!

[battlemunky]

@Hardrada, if you are using it for leather tools and hardier blades the flesh side with rouge is perfect. If you are going to use it for straight razor stropping you'll need an untreated/unpasted grain side for everyday shaving but the pasted side for when you hone a fresh bevel and you want a stage prior to shaving. The saying in straight shaving goes that honing is for the razor and stropping is for the face.

[Hardrada]

I see. That's good info, as I might eventually buy a straight razor (using Schick twin blades currently).

I want my strop mainly for this guy:

 

The strop from Tandy is just too small and I'm afraid I'm gonna slice a wrist artery or something.

Interestingly, the Tandy strop has two sides, one with grain side up and one with flesh side up. Being a noob I applied jeweller's rouge to the smooth (flesh up) side and left the other one compoundless for plain stropping.

[battlemunky]

With a hardier blade it really isn't as huge of a concern @Hardrada so don't sweat pasting the grain side. Besides, it'll wear off.

You got a link for that round knife by any chance? Me likey.

[Hardrada]

5 hours ago, battlemunky said:

With a hardier blade it really isn't as huge of a concern @Hardrada so don't sweat pasting the grain side. Besides, it'll wear off.

You got a link for that round knife by any chance? Me likey. 

10-4.

Got my Don Carlos knife from Abbey England at long last, after much hunting high and low for one from other European sellers and one American on Amazon.com that wouldn't ship to Canada.

https://www.abbeyengland.com/solingen-round-knife-329-8376.html

Edited June 23, 2020 by Hardrada