Thread: Kanayama Llama 70 000 -- gorgeous cordovan perfection

A couple of months ago, I decided to finally purchase a Kanayama cordovan leather hanging strop. I had read the posts about Naomi-san by Zethlent and JimR and was very interested. I had been ogling the Japanese strop at Rasurpur for over a year (made by the same craftsman BTW). After the threads here, I decided to go higher-end (if you're going to do it, I thought, do it right). But I wasn't interested in going the whole hog and dropping $400 on a strop, so I landed on the Llama 70 000. JimR sells the Kanayamas from 10 000 through 60 000, and Scott at Rasage Poulin sells the 70 000, 80 000, and 90 000 versions.

The 70 000 cost around $260 CDN. Yup, expensive for a strop.



So first the construction:

This is one very thick and incredibly supple piece of leather. I have never seen leather like this:



It’s nearly 4mm thick! The linen is unlike anything else I have seen either. It's stiff (but gets softer with use) and also incredibly thick. It is tightly woven and 'cleaner- and more finished-looking’ than the linen on other strops (which is quite a bit rougher-looking and thin by comparison).

Even compared to the TM strops (which are of the highest build-quality), this is something quite different. From the look and feel of the strop, you can tell that there are several decades of experience at work here. It's definitely the creation of a master craftsman.

The hardware isn't the heavy-duty, weighs-a-pound-on-its-own sort of hardware on other strops. Instead, it has a subtler kind of build that still expresses a commitment to high quality. No heavy steel rings or leather handles, but just the simplicity I would expect from well-made Japanese craftsmanship.





Performance:
I compare this strop to only two others I have owned: A Tony Miller vegan Heirloom w/cotton and another TM red latigo w/ linen. The Kanayama 70K has the least amount of draw of the three. However, while at first I found there was nearly no feeling of draw (as others have observed with horse hide), over the last several weeks I have noticed that there is a very distinct draw to this strop. It is a very soft and velvet-like feeling as you draw the razor across the strop. It's not as others have described horsehide in feeling as if your stropping on glass or plastic or something -- i.e. nearly zero friction -- it's just a much more subtle draw than latigo. It might be the suppleness of the cordovan in this strop that gives it the subtle, yet definite draw.

Using it on its own, I find I feel like I need more passes than when using the latigo. However, that feeling may just be in my head. I have found no major difference in performance. Having said that, when I use the Kanayama following stropping on the latigo, I definitely notice a difference to the edge -- smoother for sure. I have used both strops alone and then in conjunction with each other. On balance, I like using this strop to finish the edge following the latigo.

Right now, between the two, the latigo w/linen and the Kanayama, I prefer the linen on the TM strop because it is much softer. Over time and with use I am sure the linen on the Kanayama will soften considerably, but at this point it feels too stiff and I find myself worrying at times that I could easily roll the edge on the harder surface of the Kanayama linen. That will change over time, for now it just takes a bit more awareness.



In conclusion:
I really like this strop. I am a huge fan of Japanese craftsmanship and design, and this fits the bill perfectly. Performance-wise it is a fantastic strop and compares very well to the TM strops. Is it worth the money? That depends. If you're simply looking for a high-quality strop, there are many goods ones available for under $100. But if your heart desires something crafted by a master of the leather-making art, something that is also a superb strop, then yes this is worth the money.

s.

I love it, too, (have the same one), my only complaint's that the hide's more sensitive to razor edge imperfections than my face.

I just purchased the 3000. Thinner leather than the 70000, smooth as butter to the draw of my razors. Actually I first used the new Crown TI with the hardened Silver Sheffield blade. And then I went to a much older razor, a wedge reconditioned by Max, to compare results. Lastly, I stropped a 60 year old Weltmeister. As expected, the TI was superb. What really suprised me was how well my other razors turned out. These strops are to be well reckoned. The delivery from Jim took 4 days. The packaging was perfect. This is a well made product, expensive, but well worth the cost. The linen may scare one with the sound as the razor is stropped. But it does a wonderful job of preparing the blade for use. Buying this strop was one of my better choices.