Some time ago I put a big old slice through my TM Latigo strop which was salvageable with a little elbow grease using natural pumice, but gave me the perfect excuse to go back to Tony with a request.
For some time I've been wanting to try out a brushed leather strop. Tony mentioned he had thought of something similar and, being the gent that he is, agreed to give it a go. (As if Tony didn't already have enough to do without what could be frivolous requests!
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The two photos illustrate both strops, the one on the right being the brushed version. Admittedly, when first out the box I thought Tony had forgotten the request and packaged up a Latigo for me, but once I had a chance to feel it I realised there was a subtle difference to look at, but quite a marked difference in feel!
Tony had kept me up to date with progress while he was putting this together, and he had indeed mentioned that there was a very fine tooth to the surface. Very fine. But clearly discernible when stropping as you get a slight velvet-like effect as the light changes the surface when you strop up and down.
The draw on this is incredible. It has considerably more draw than the unbrushed Latigo. The original Latigo version I have is well-used, well looked after (lightly oiled every other week), and has worn beautifully to provide more draw than when new. The brushed version felt like it had a lot more draw straight out of the box.
It may be that the tooth is so fine that, with continued and extended use, it may lose some of the brushed effect and begin to behave more like a traditional Latigo finish. (Any pointers on how to maintain the tooth on brushed leather from those here with experience would be most gratefully received!)
The sound of stropping also confirmed the increased draw. My traditional Latigo makes a 'schick schick' sound when stropping, the brushed version makes a more drawn-out 'shhh-shhh' sound.
And as far as the look is concerned, there is no sheen on the brushed version, which is particularly noticeable when viewed under spot lights.
I also took the opportunity to try out some of the upgrades to Tony's strops. The handles are a vast improvement on the old D-Rings in my opinion. Especially if you're stropping from a hook which is at head height (i.e. stropping up and away from the body, then down and towards).
The genuine linen is also, in my opinion, a vast improvement. Again, more draw. It is smoother and softer than the original linens -- less bumpy and thinner, which makes it more supple and flexible, and I wonder if this leads to greater draw? Certainly it should mean more surface area contact compared to the bumpier and rougher original.
I'm very happy with this strop. Although I was expecting something more brushed (akin to suede), the performance of this strop and its draw is almost perfectly in tune with what I had been wishing for. Longterm use may change the experience, but I will be researching how I can maintain the draw and effect on this brushed version. If the effect proves to be long-lasting and easily maintained, then I'd certainly recommend this to be part of Tony's product range!
TM brushed leather Latigo heirloom strop
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