Thread: Need Advice

Originally Posted by freebird

What do you use to treat the leather? Would Mink Oil or Neatsfoot Oil work? Or is something else recommended?

Either is good. Glove Oil has been mentioned and there are strop conditioning pastes available. I used Mink Oil and let it dry for about two days.

X

As for strop dressing, once again I will add <g>. Don't dress it until it needs something. Many new strops I have tried felty pretty good just as I got them, so why add some type of goop right away? I have had some that after dressing either felt too smooth or too sticky. If it feels good now don;t do anything until it no longer feels good...then dress it.

Tony

I sure appreciate all of the help. I've been wet shaving for awhile, but straights and strops are new territory for me, and I sure don't want to mess things up right off the bat!

I want to add something about the strop condition. As Tony mentioned usually a strop needs no pre-conditioning, but..

I've found that a strop, especially the leather, works best for me if it is very limp. If your strop is already in this condition do nothing additional.

Otherwise the application of a strop dressing, once absorbed (about 24 hrs) followed by hand finishing (rubbing with the palm) or the glass bottle treatment, will start the process of loosening up your strop. It may take days to weeks to get your strop in perfect condition this way, but it will benefit your strop and your stropping.

Illinois linen strops tend to be very stiff when new and can benefit from just the hand finishing over time (don't apply dressing to your linen, it will loose a lot of it's draw).

Just thought I'd add this for your consideration.


Scott