Over time, I have seen many posts from members looking for a least cost option (LCO) beginner's strop. Here is the solution that worked for me in the US. I am not knowledgeable about leather craft suppliers elsewhere, but if other members are, please add that information to this thread- about the prices in leather craft places outside of the US.
You can go to Tandy Leather, in person or online and for $17 buy a 2" wide top-grain vegetable tanned cowhide leather strap- Item #4535-00 These are usually ~50" long. It is better to go in person, so you can feel the strap. You are feeling for as smooth a non-flawed surface as possible, although minor cosmetic defects are fine; you want a smooth and level surface on the strap.
Cut a piece off about 20-21" long. Take a shoelace, some nylon cord, or really any stout thing to tie it with. Use the hole that is usually punched in the top part of the strap to put it on the rack first, or just punch one. Tie it to a towel bar or hook in the wall or around anything stable. Doorknobs are not great, unless you keep the door shut. You will get two strops for the price of one strap. That works out to about $10 a strop. Plus, you will have 8-9" or so left to make a simple paddle strop for pasting, travel or whatever you choose. Barge cement is used to glue leather to wood or other surfaces.
I often frequent the junk/antique shops and occasionally come across an old battered strop on which the leather is shot. I buy them, do not pay more than a couple of dollars, and salvage the old hardware. If you want to add a cloth component to your LCO strop, thrift shops often have used wide cotton webbing belts that will do fine, ~$3.
Good luck with this alternative, if you try it. I have posted a picture of my very well worn LCO strop. The top hardware came off a $1 purchase at a junk store. The brass screw is called a Chicago screw so the top hardware can be used again. I had this screw in the house, as I do leather work. The leather is the item referred to above from Tandy. I sent the other piece from this strap to a member who bought a beginner's straight from me, as he did not have a strop to use. BTW, if you leave vegetable tanned leather in the sun for a few days it will darken to lovely color. Any leather conditioner can be used to condition, if your strop dries out over time. Or, you can just run the strop vigorously with your palm and it will refresh.
I hope you find this information useful.
You can go to Tandy Leather, in person or online and for $17 buy a 2" wide top-grain vegetable tanned cowhide leather strap- Item #4535-00 These are usually ~50" long. It is better to go in person, so you can feel the strap. You are feeling for as smooth a non-flawed surface as possible, although minor cosmetic defects are fine; you want a smooth and level surface on the strap.
Cut a piece off about 20-21" long. Take a shoelace, some nylon cord, or really any stout thing to tie it with. Use the hole that is usually punched in the top part of the strap to put it on the rack first, or just punch one. Tie it to a towel bar or hook in the wall or around anything stable. Doorknobs are not great, unless you keep the door shut. You will get two strops for the price of one strap. That works out to about $10 a strop. Plus, you will have 8-9" or so left to make a simple paddle strop for pasting, travel or whatever you choose. Barge cement is used to glue leather to wood or other surfaces.
I often frequent the junk/antique shops and occasionally come across an old battered strop on which the leather is shot. I buy them, do not pay more than a couple of dollars, and salvage the old hardware. If you want to add a cloth component to your LCO strop, thrift shops often have used wide cotton webbing belts that will do fine, ~$3.
Good luck with this alternative, if you try it. I have posted a picture of my very well worn LCO strop. The top hardware came off a $1 purchase at a junk store. The brass screw is called a Chicago screw so the top hardware can be used again. I had this screw in the house, as I do leather work. The leather is the item referred to above from Tandy. I sent the other piece from this strap to a member who bought a beginner's straight from me, as he did not have a strop to use. BTW, if you leave vegetable tanned leather in the sun for a few days it will darken to lovely color. Any leather conditioner can be used to condition, if your strop dries out over time. Or, you can just run the strop vigorously with your palm and it will refresh.
I hope you find this information useful.
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If not oiled the leather has a nice moderate draw.
