Which strop?

[R181]

Just to muddy the waters here - I have cordovan strops from Neil Miller and Scrupleworks as well as a Kanayama. The first two shell strops are very different from the Japanese one but I don’t know enough to explain the difference. I do know that Neil Miller stated that his shell cordovan was a completely different strop to the Kanayama.

it’s also worth noting that ‘Cordovan’ relates to the tanning process originating from Cordoba and not to the type of leather. Therefore, cordovan does not necessarily imply horse shell.

I do not have a Kanayama strop to compare to my Neil Miller strop. My Neil Miller strop has on its back side the Horween Company logo and shell cordovan mark.

Yes, cordovan is a tanning process associated with Cordoba and used only on horse hides to process two small areas on the rump part of a horse hide.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_cordovan

Bob

 

[UKRob]

I do not have a Kanayama strop to compare to my Neil Miller strop. My Neil Miller strop has on its back side the Horween Company logo and shell cordovan mark.

Yes, cordovan is a tanning process associated with Cordoba and used only on horse hides to process two small areas on the rump part of a horse hide.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shell_cordovan

Bob

Bob, if you look at the Horween site it’s noticeable that they always refer to shell cordovan as opposed to just cordovan. However, they also use the same process on bovine leather and call it Essex. As ever, Wikipedia is only as good as its contributors.

 

[R181]

Bob, if you look at the Horween site it’s noticeable that they always refer to shell cordovan as opposed to just cordovan. However, they also use the same process on bovine leather and call it Essex. As ever, Wikipedia is only as good as its contributors.

From reading the Horween description of Essex leather I gather they use the same traditional tanning extracts as shell cordovan but they don't say it is a 4 month process as with shell cordovan.

Bob

 

[BlacknTan]

Just to muddy the waters here - I have cordovan strops from Neil Miller and Scrupleworks as well as a Kanayama. The first two shell strops are very different from the Japanese one but I don’t know enough to explain the difference. I do know that Neil Miller stated that his shell cordovan was a completely different strop to the Kanayama.

it’s also worth noting that ‘Cordovan’ relates to the tanning process originating from Cordoba and not to the type of leather. Therefore, cordovan does not necessarily imply horse shell.

I also have shell cordovan from Neil Miller, Scrupleworks and Kanayama, and Rob is correct on all counts!

 

[SammieM]

I’m not sure if the Kanayama strops are Shell Cordovan, but at least some of them are shell leather. Here are some photos from the net I have come across in the past. These particular two were posted by “Shaptonn”. If you note on one of the photos the first name of the maker is in the cross and also the stamp mentions “extensor shell”…

I do have a Horween shell cordovan made by Westholme that is completely different from the Kanayama.