Thread: Storing a hanging strop

I think what we need here is a long-term study. We need a young volunteer - someone just starting out on the whole straight shaving thing. Give him a couple of quality of strops, both of which will be used regularly but one stored hanging loose, the other stored curled, but under otherwise identical conditions. Then in 20-30 years, we can check in and see what's what.

I think back to how long the strop at my dads old barber was hanging there on the side of his chair, it wasn't rolled up, just hung there and used for as far as I can guess over 50 years. Tc

Originally Posted by Cangooner

I think what we need here is a long-term study. We need a young volunteer - someone just starting out on the whole straight shaving thing. Give him a couple of quality of strops, both of which will be used regularly but one stored hanging loose, the other stored curled, but under otherwise identical conditions. Then in 20-30 years, we can check in and see what's what.

Bob

A funny thread.

It's a "hanging" strop. That should tell you the way it's to be stored.

My opinion of course.

Interesting idea, it does make sense! I don't think I will actually move my strops since I have a nice place for them but if I get another I might try a new place to hang

I agree with thebigspendur, every strop I've owned has been hung. In recent times I have found that I have increased my strop numbers, more strop acquisition disorder than anything, but what is the collective opinion of what you should do to store un-used virgin strops, 'lay em down' or 'hang em'. I have 3 brand new strops, in original packing. They are laying flat now and have been for a few months. Whats the best way to keep the stops in that new condition. Maybe years?
Bob

FWW
I have hung my strops. I have renewed about 20 some of them over the years. The old and/ or unused ones from antique stores that were coiled user side out were a bear to straighten out and had a bad tendency to bunch up and wrinkle the surface. Use side in, just tighlty rolling it can wrinkle the surface. It may take a long time to get the strop flexible and smooth if left long in a coil. Any bend/ fold in a stored strop is a frustration just awaiting the time to happen. Traveling, I loop the strop around the inside of my suitcase so there are no sharp bends. Ditto when I send one off to a person, medium USPS box and the strop looped gently around the inside, no sharp bends.

That said; Yes, I do rework an old strop over time, first bottling it, so I can bend it around a small radius after it has been softened. I slide it back and forth like shining shoes, use side out. I may only use a round table leg to do this as the softening process is started and underway. Do not do this with a brittle old strop.
~Richard

I am also a leatherworker. One thing to be careful of. If you roll the strop too tightly, with the grain side in, you will stretch the back side of the leather, and when you pull it taunt, you might make wrinkles on the stropping surface. If you have the grain side out, it might create cracks in the grain surface. I have ruined leather for strops by rolling it too tightly.

I bought a packet of cup hooks and hung all my strops (new and used) along the underside of a cupboard, it actually draws attention, sort of a status symbol, you know, a herd of llamas...lol