My DIY hanging strop

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My DIY hanging strop,thoughts after first test run: I wonder if choice of leather is mainly a question of look and feel for me when stropping or if it will also influence razor edge quality?

edit: leather total 500mm x 75mm, stropping area 460mm, Italian veggie tanned cowhide of some sort, rather thick and soft but without being mushy, full grain leather so got character (imperfections to some :) ), 6 Chicago screws 5 mm waist and 7-9mm length, 2 sticks of wood 75x10mm, paracord, fishtail pattern supposedly the easiest to braid so perfect for me, locked with the help of CA glue instead of lighter, no fancy leather work with cut outs or burnished edges as this takes skill and patience that I do not have, all in all material cost me about 6 pounds
 
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Looks good, i'm yet to venture in to the world of hanging strops as paddle strops work well for me, but i do feel that perhaps i'm missing out on something :confused: I have considered making my own as a lot of the ones out there come with a linen side and i really don't like linen/cotton strops.
Trouble is i have no idea what leather to look for to work well.
 
To start with look for some veggie tanned cowhide that you like the look and feel of and take it from there. By using chicago screws you get a modular strop so after having mastered the stropping technique it should be quite easy to switch between different types of leather trying to find a personal favourite.
 
Looks good, i'm yet to venture in to the world of hanging strops as paddle strops work well for me, but i do feel that perhaps i'm missing out on something :confused: I have considered making my own as a lot of the ones out there come with a linen side and i really don't like linen/cotton strops.
Trouble is i have no idea what leather to look for to work well.
Nice to see someone using paddle strops. They get such a bad press on the forums but I think they are excellent. Used them for years before taking up hanging strops - still do when I'm traveling.
 
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My DIY hanging strop,thoughts after first test run: I wonder if choice of leather is mainly a question of look and feel for me when stropping or if it will also influence razor edge quality?

edit: leather total 500mm x 75mm, stropping area 460mm, Italian veggie tanned cowhide of some sort, rather thick and soft but without being mushy, full grain leather so got character (imperfections to some :) ), 6 Chicago screws 5 mm waist and 7-9mm length, 2 sticks of wood 75x10mm, paracord, fishtail pattern supposedly the easiest to braid so perfect for me, locked with the help of CA glue instead of lighter, no fancy leather work with cut outs or burnished edges as this takes skill and patience that I do not have, all in all material cost me about 6 pounds
That looks really nice. The paracord fastenings are genius. I have been struggling to find the swivel rings and your paracord design solves that - it's possibly even a better solution. How well does the vegetal leather work?
 
My hanging strop works really well, I have actually been pleasantly surprised by the quality of the edges achieved so far, draw is on the light side but just like with my paid for strops after a breaking in period I think draw will become medium or at least light/medium.
 
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Looks amazing. I had a tough time finding leather here in Ireland. Ended up paying 20€ for a piece that I sometimes use...
You can find plenty of swivel clasps on eBay UK. Get the smallest ring one and place it in stead of the paracord if you so desire. I like the paracord look.. Great job!
 
Nice job!

I did some research on the question about the influence on the edge depending on the type of leather. I think it's safe to say the general consensus is that it doesn't make a difference.

The leather makes a difference on the draw and feel, so it's more about the user experience. Saying that, it will have a influence on the edge , because you will be more likely to use something you enjoy
 
I have quite a few strops already, custom made by others, but this post does encourage me to have a go! I do have a paddle but it came in a job lot and I have never considered using it - I will need to dig it out and see what it is like. Good thread people!
 
I have 2 hanging strops, one vtg shell and the other English Bridle, I also have 5 bench strops, homemade, one 3mm felt with diamond spray, one with .3 crox, two other newly made felt strops in 1mm, I will put a paste on one of these, and lastly a leather bench strop that I made from a very cheap hanging strop, it was under £10 and had a thin flimsy handle, I just glued it onto a piece of wood that I padded out a little with...you guessed it...felt :) it just gives it a softer (?) Feel, I used this as my main strop before I got the bridle...and when I used that the difference was amazing, about 3 months later I bought the Shell and the difference from the bridle to the Shell was another big step up, the shell is my go to now, I still want a latigo tho and maybe that would satisfy my strop addiction. ( any for sale ?).
 
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