Tony, thanks for the info about leather & cloth choices

[leighton]

So I was browsing Tony's website because I was trying to figure out if there was a difference between the striped side of the cotton and the clean side. Anyway, doesn't matter why I was there. I always like reading Tony's little blog, and I was well rewarded tonight. While I already got all this info from Tony in the form of emails, he wrote it out so very eloquently and straight forward.

Horsehide or Latigo, Cotton or Linen
I am frequently asked as to which leather or cloth to choose for your new strop. Red Latigo is a material I introduced to strop making 4 years ago and is basically a specially tanned steer hide that is treated with oils and waxes. This imparts a heavier draw, or friction to the leather which makes it what I feel is the best all around material for stropping on. Not all latigo leathers are created equal and there is far more to making a strop than just cutting a strip from a side. Knowing which type of latigo to use, what hides to discard and which areas and orientation to cut each piece from are paramount to crafting a proper strop. I use a proprietary "breaking in" process done on both the raw components and again on the finished strops before shipment.

The Horsehide I use is cut from the butt section of the horse. This is the thickest, strongest part of the skin. Horsehide will have considerably less draw or friction but makes for an excellent finishing strop for use after Red Latigo or for those who just prefer a more traditional material. These strops go through my same extensive break in process. The raw horsehide "butts" have a fairly low yield of first quality leather, hence the higher costs for this product. Coloration will range from a light tan to a variegated wood grain like pattern.

There are a lot of leather choices out there to catch the buyers eye but in my experience you need only one or two things.....a light draw (friction) or a heavy draw. These are best covered with just two leather choices. I have found that the best materials, and the ones that have stood up year after year for myself and my customers, were my original Red Latigo and the Butt Section Horsehide. I prefer to stand with these time tested, proven materials alone for my products, and not to try to woo buyers with some exotic hides that have no effective advantage other than a catchy name and a premium price tag.

The actual function of the cloth component, typically called "linen" is the subject of much debate but most feel it is an important step in stropping. Sadly, most strop makers today use the word "Linen" to mean any cloth component, no matter what fiber it is actually made from. There is no "mystery" cloth used on my strops, I call it what it is, Smooth Cotton or Genuine Linen, no surprises, no secrets, no generic terms to make you think you are getting something you are not. Smooth cotton is my daily choice as it has a firm, stiff temper but a fine weave making for a smooth surface for daily stropping or the application of fine abrasives. Genuine Linen, being a less processed fiber and the traditional choce for years, is thought to be more abrasive than cotton and may be the choice for those wanting the ultimate material but I feel it would be a waste to then apply pastes over this material. The linen is more difficult to source and has a high waste factor resulting in a higher price for this material.

Taken from here.

 

[Tony Miller]

Leighton,
Both sides of my cotton are identical, the stripe is just an industry marker as to what type of ply/construction it is made from. I started with a brown stripe, coarse weave 2 ply but went with the yellow stripe, single ply smooth weave a year or two ago. the colored thread is just a marker.

Draw will always be a matter of debate as well, high draw or light, each fellow seems to have a preference. My old "Honey Brown" was right in between and was a good choice but I put more stock in how much, or how little draw is provided, than in just what beast the hide came from.

Thanks,
Tony

 

[leighton]

Leighton,
Both sides of my cotton are identical, the stripe is just an industry marker as to what type of ply/construction it is made from. I started with a brown stripe, coarse weave 2 ply but went with the yellow stripe, single ply smooth weave a year or two ago. the colored thread is just a marker.

I was 99% sure that was the case, but I'm still OCD about which way is "up." I guess I'll just let it go.