Thread: Try this on your leather

. . . and we have one in the help files, The 1961 Textbook for barbers.

Scott, I've tried this method and had no luck at all. I get no draw whatsoever. The only variable I can find is I don't have Williams soap. I've tried creams and I've tried Classicshaving soap.

Any thoughts?

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

. . . and we have one in the help files, The 1961 Textbook for barbers.

Scott, I've tried this method and had no luck at all. I get no draw whatsoever. The only variable I can find is I don't have Williams soap. I've tried creams and I've tried Classicshaving soap.

Any thoughts?

Alan, I don't know if it means anything for sure, but from what I gather classic soaps are glycerin soaps, and most creams have a bit much in there as well..I've had success with Williams myself awhile back when something similar was suggested to treat the nap on the Illinois 827 (along with a pumice stone rub and lots of attention with a glass bottle)
I think perhaps Tabac, or some other triple milled non meltable soap would work also, like Colgate or even some hard bath soaps like Ivory. The others have so much glycerin it might be self defeating. Just a thought, though it's not something I know for sure.
John P.

I think the type of leather in the strop will make this work or not work. Anything with olis, like Latigo may not do well at all with this. Just a guess but they are pretty water resistant so I can't see where the soap will help.

I am wondering if this is simply to open the grain of the leather. When wet a plain leather strop will have much more texture than dry. Maybe the lather is acting to keep the strop wet longer than just using water alone and then once dry the open pores harden a bit creating the increased draw.

In some ways though the strop conditioners lubricate the strop and then in the process of stropping the hard steel surface burnishes the now softened leather into a smooth, not so textured surface, which starts to loose it's draw.

Tony

Boy you guys are impressive. Well, I was able to apply Proraso Green and now have a good draw. I did add more water to the mix then originally and that seems to help a bit.

Tony, I probably need to break down and order some of that great dressing you provide with your strops. Maybe I'll just drive over one day to save shipping costs.

Alan,
Not much to look at here but I welcome a visit if in the area. I don,t have a retail outlet but if it's someone I know from the groups I am fine with a visit with advance notice.

Tony

Alan,

After reading your post I made up some lather with Trumpers coconut oil shave cream, coated my strop, and let it dry about 6 hours. It works, but I think I like the William's best so far. Both have glycerin as ingredients.


Scott

All this soap conditioning gets me to wondering how long the strops are going to last for you . I've seen some soaps turn bridles into leather chips. Saddle soap is specially formulated to work well with leather if you HAVE to clean it. I've found that cleaning my leathers with saddle soap when necessary and treating them liberally with neatsfoot oil compound seems to work wonders especially on my stropping leather. I've considered giving up mink oil in favor of neatsfoot oil compound.

I never have and probably never will put any other soap than saddle soap on them.