Making a linen strop out of denim

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To make a "linen" strop out of denim, you need an outer piece wrapped around a core piece, to simulate the weaves of yesteryear which were continuous & had no edges. My first attempt at this used a strip of soft plastic for the core, and silicone RTV adhesive. The adhesive was too liquid & bled through the cloth, and the plastic was too hard, resulting in a strop that felt hard and scratchy.[1]

Background[edit | edit source]

I decided the results would be better if I used a fabric core instead of plastic, and contact cement. I used DAP Weldwood Contact Cement from the hardware store. It comes in a bottle with a built-in brush attached to the inside of the lid.

Making the strop[edit | edit source]

Also, don't fiddle-fart around with the placement. Contact cement bonds the instant it touches itself & it can't be moved. pull the center piece slightly taught, then ram it authoritatively onto the larger piece in one confident motion.

References[edit | edit source]