My Strops Leather Edge

Damon · 09-17-2008, 12:22 AM

Some have inquired by email about what do I mean about my strops having hand dressed edges which help prevent your razor from catching the edge. So I have photographed before and after pictures of the edges to show you the burnished type edge. This type edge helps prevent the edge of your razor being caught by the edge and creating nicks in the strop. I say prevent not eliminate because a poor stropping technique will still nick the strop.

Before Photo

After Photo

scrapcan · 09-17-2008, 07:06 PM

Damon,

Interesting that you should post this. I was getting ready to ask about doing this and if it was a common thing.

I am getting ready to make a strop and was going to do the rounded and polished edge just as you have shown. Did you use an edger and then polish with saddle soap or strop dressing? I did a million miles of edges for a saddle shop in the back of the building where I worked a part itme job in High school. You get pretty good at it and it really does make a world of difference in the finished look of a piece of leather.

Damon · 09-17-2008, 07:55 PM

My partner in Wyoming makes the strops for me and as far as I know my strops are the only ones being made that have this feature.
Im not sure what process he uses to round the edge and the last time I asked he told me it was a trade secret at the saddle shop.
I think you probably know more about it than I do.

scrapcan · 09-17-2008, 09:30 PM

Damon,

Where is your partner located in this fair state? the shop that was in the same building was a saddle making school. It has long since gone by the way ( one of the original owners has passed on adn the other is not taking many students). I travel the eintire state with my job and it never hurts to have another place to stop when you hav ehad a bunch of windshield time. I also like to take a look at hand built saddles and horse equipment.

Tony Miller · 09-17-2008, 09:51 PM

Damon,
Burnishing the cut edges of any leather project or product is pretty much standard fare. I've done it since day one on all of my strops as I did on the holsters and belts I did years ago. The Illinois and Dovo strops I have seen or owned all have an eased edge as well. Each leather reacts a bit differently to the use of the slicker, the softer ones rounding quite a bit, the harder just barely having the edges eased. One can also use a tool to actually cut the sharpest edge off first (either rounded or angled), sort of a beveling, before using a slicker to round but I find a neater job is done with the just the pressure and friction of the slicker. The slicker itself can be a nylon disc with a rounded groove, a bone, hardwood or nylon "folder" or a motorised buffing type machine with wooden or leather wheels containing different sized grooves. The smooth hard surface of the tool and the friction created by the spinning wheel or lots of hard, fast rubbing polishes the edge. Waxes or other sealing agents are used as well to achieve even higher polishes on the leathers edge.

There is a handy little bench mounted tool in most saddle shops that skives off all four edges at once to any degree of bevel, leaving nicely eased corners that respond well to the slicker. I loke the slickered edges best as the top surface is simply curled downward below the corner where it cannot contact the edge of the razor. When skived and rounded the skin side edge is still on top where over time it can 'rumple" up if the razor is ****ed a bit when stropping.

Your partner may be using a unique method or tool but the practice is widespread and the end result, and purpose for doing it, is the same.

Tony

Damon · 09-18-2008, 01:56 AM

Thanks Tony for the information now I can tell him I know what he's doing, Ha Ha, and I was not aware that Dovo did that. The only other strop I own is the Illinois 127 and i've seen other Illinois strops and they don't slick the edge. Good info Tony thanks.

Again I told my friend what I wanted, gave him a drawing, he made one for me. I liked it so much that I had to sell them, I like it better than my 127.

Tony Miller · 09-18-2008, 02:08 AM

damon,
I suspect the Dovo and Illinois stop bodies are die cut using a clicker press which may account for the rounding on my examples. It is not "slicked" exactly but gives a similar look. I also have a Dovo or two that are simply squared off edges. They do buff the surface of their leather which may be done after the cutting which could leave a bit of rounding or none at all, hence the variation. My Illinois 361 had really nice edges, the lesser ones were...well, lesser. they stropped well but not all were made as nicely. Just like anything it is hit or miss, but hopefully we do many more hits than misses.

I click my horsehide as it gives a nicer edge than razor cutting but do razor cut my Latigo as it is a more knife friendly material. either way there are lots of little flaws to work around on any hide so having the tannery cut them would waste just about every piece. That has been the only real catch with using belt blanks, etc...they are cut to get the best yield from a side, not the best strips but are a good resource for those who wish to make their own.

Take care,
Tony

Damon · 09-18-2008, 02:50 AM

I don't know much about the belt blanks. The strops that are made for me are taken from the upper butt and back section of the cow hide as they don't use that area to often for the saddles because that area has very little stretch. And since it's scrap to them I get a better pick of the lot, no scars or wrinkles.

Tony Miller · 09-18-2008, 11:11 AM

Damon,
That is a good area to cut them from, especially if it it surplus to his other needs.

The belt blanks I mentioned are a common choice at Tandy, etc.... for guys wanting to make their own strops. Usually 2 1/2" or 3" by 72" and made from Latigo or tooling leather. These are cut longways, butt to shoulder but done to utilize the entire side. Any scars in the sides are still in the strips as every inch is used. Some are excellent, others really bad. If buying in person guys can get some nice stock. Online though it is the luck of the draw.

Tony

scrapcan · 09-18-2008, 06:01 PM

The area of the hide you are using for strops also make very good stirrup leathers and other parts for saddles that you also do not want to stretch over time. Think about having one leg longer than the other. Most of the edging that I have been around was done using and edger to cut the rounded edge and the finished with saddlesoap and a piece of canvas. All beign done by hand, it makes a great edge and you know it is done right because you got to touch it all the way around.

Tony,

Do you have a hard time keeping the clicker dies sharp? I noticed while the shop used the clicker to cut pieces that the rounding occured on the top side when the dies started getting dull or excessively worn. Hard to sharpen the dies and they are expensive to boot so most just live with the cut.

Damon · 09-18-2008, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scrapcan

The area of the hide you are using for strops also make very good stirrup leathers and other parts for saddles that you also do not want to stretch over time. Think about having one leg longer than the other. Most of the edging that I have been around was done using and edger to cut the rounded edge and the finished with saddlesoap and a piece of canvas. All beign done by hand, it makes a great edge and you know it is done right because you got to touch it all the way around.

Your right but the leather I get is what's left after cutting the seat the stirrups actually get a heavier weight leather, I can't remember what the weights are that are used. My buddies saddle shop does a lot of production and therefore they are alittle wasteful when it comes to cutting leather.

highball · 09-27-2008, 06:25 AM

Nice looking work. I just orderd one

Tony Miller · 09-28-2008, 01:49 AM

I find that even when brand new the dies tend to round the top of most softer leathers. My horsehide will have a less rounded edge than the Latigo but not by much. Neither is very round right from the die and ned further work with a slicker. Th di just manages to take th sharpness of of the upper surface. I only use dies on the latigo caps and handles and on the horsehide strop bodies. In th beginning I cut the caps completely by hand but it took far too long. The latigo strop bodies are done with straight edge and razor knife, working around any flaws in the leather. On horsehide I use a template the same size as the strop to mark the exact areas I will use my die on. With straight edge and razor on horsehide, well, thee toughness of the leather gives the knife a mind of it's own <g>.

Tony