Thread: Bent Strop

Hello,
I purchased a strop a while back (my first). Was not cheap and was from reputable company. But the strop has a bend midway. Tried to straighten it with marginal success. Let me see if I can get a picture. My question is if a slight bend that as the blade passes over changes the angle, even though slight, does that matter? And if so how to fix bend?
I'm sure this has been answered before but I'm learning to navigate the forum..
Thanks a lot!
M

If you bought it from a reputable company then the way to fix it is to exchange it for a good one.

Hi Mike,

Stropping over the bent part of the strop won't hurt the razor.

Exchanging your strop is indeed a good option. However if the new leather strop is just bent and not cracked it will likely straighten and smooth out by leaving it hanging and perhaps rubbing it with the palm of your hand before each use. That's what happened with my Illinois strop. It had been folded over to fit in a drawer at the cutlery store where I got it. It is now perfectly smooth.

Jeff

Put the strop in a folded damp cloth, take an iron, put the dial on the wool position and iron it out. Works a treat, unless there are cracks in the leather. If the damp cloth leaves some stains on the leather (most likely it will not) you can clean is with saddle soap. To increase draw you can aplly some neatsfootoil.

Originally Posted by Kees

Put the strop in a folded damp cloth, take an iron, put the dial on the wool position and iron it out. Works a treat, unless there are cracks in the leather. If the damp cloth leaves some stains on the leather (most likely it will not) you can clean is with saddle soap. To increase draw you can aplly some neatsfootoil.

Hey thanks! I'm going to try that one, really its the best suggestion yet as far as actually fixing problem. Ofcourse sending it back could work, but I've had it for a couple years, used it a bunch of times and have never been into sending things back after i use them for a while.. I should have sent it back in the beginning, but "fixing" it, that is what I'm looking for. Thanks again!

Just watch how damp the cloth is. If there is too much water you will have permanent stains which will never come out and if the heat is too much you can dry out the leather. I'd try more conservative methods first like hanging with a weight or piling some weight on it or using a rolling pin or glass bottle.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Just watch how damp the cloth is. If there is too much water you will have permanent stains which will never come out and if the heat is too much you can dry out the leather. I'd try more conservative methods first like hanging with a weight or piling some weight on it or using a rolling pin or glass bottle.

Okay cool, got it. Did some of the suggestions, tonight will be getting it damp a little and slowly with damp towels. Then I'm going to heat up a stone rolling pin and try to roll it out. I also have a flat smooth granite stone that could serve the same purpose. I'm wondering if the roller if I'm not careful will put indentations on it.
Anyway I think after working with it a bit, nothing drastic, it will be fine.
Thanks a lot,
M

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Just watch how damp the cloth is. If there is too much water you will have permanent stains which will never come out and if the heat is too much you can dry out the leather. I'd try more conservative methods first like hanging with a weight or piling some weight on it or using a rolling pin or glass bottle.

Spendur is right: just a bit damp, not soaking wet. Wetness is meant to dissipate the heat of the iron, not to soak the leather. Done it a few times on several strops (latigo, Kanayama): never had any permanent stains.