Thread: strop condition HEM

Hi,

I've recently gotten into the straight razor scene, and i did so buy buying some second hand stuff at an antique store. While i'm getting my razor up to speed with the hones i've bought i'm wondering if the strop i got at the antique store is doing more harm than good.


It's in average condition, it has two nicks on it, one rather large one at the end where HEM is written (and under this is embossed genuine horsehide). And there's another minor one at the bottom which feels smooth to run my fingers over. The other side is terrible. It has this ruff embossed pattern of dots down the center and lines on the side which make it quite ruff, there are also multiple gashes down the end that you hold and chips on the sides, and the top has a few chips.

I'm attaching some photos for you to get a better idea.

The strop is a bit dry, when i first got it it was very dry and i put some olive oil on it which seemed to work ok (ok, so how bad a move was this?). It's starting to dry up again now and on the smooth side (which is the only side i use) there seems to form a hump when i strop which means only a small part of the blade touches the strop and i have to rely on using an x pattern to get a good coverage on the blade. I think this is partially due to the stiffness of the leather, perhaps i need to get some linseed oil? i assume no one would ok my use of olive oil?

So i'm wondering if i could be doing any damage to my blade using this strop (from the nicks, hump in the leather or just plan stiffness)

Thanks for any input guys

orfeo

ps: if you think a new strop is in order, are there any economic options out there? i like the look of tony's strops but i feel they will probably be out of my price range ($40) - i guess something like this http://www.classicshaving.com/catalo...944/817097.htm

Originally Posted by orfeo

...
ps: if you think a new strop is in order, are there any economic options out there? i like the look of tony's strops but i feel they will probably be out of my price range ($40) - i guess something like this http://www.classicshaving.com/catalo...944/817097.htm

Olive oil has been used by others. I recommend neatsfoot oil maybe once a year or less. Usually the oil from your hand is enough (rub it every 2 or 3 days). You could try to even out the hump by rubbing the strop with a straight sided glass bottle. If the hump is too hard to avoid, then I would get another strop.

I have an Illinois 127 strop and it does the job pretty well. If possible I would get a Tony Miller strop instead, even his practice strop beats the Illinois (IMO).

That strop looks to be in much better condition that most all I've seen at the antique stores in my area; still, it looks like someone ran over it with a Model T a few times.

The glass bottle does work very well. I'd back up and take a clean, damp but old (one you wouldn't want to use on anything of significance) towel and rub the surface briskly back and forth to clean it off; heck, maybe even with a little saddle soap on the towel. Then let it dry a bit and then use the smooth glass bottle with moderately firm pressure to pass/draw the bottle/jar over the strop surface (you don't have to roll it a la rolling pin style, I find back and forth over the strop works better). Then after thoroughly dry, if you want, strop dressing.

Oh, and you can use some fine grit sandpaper before the process described above to try and gently rub out any minor nicks in the leather (major gashes....nope).

Oh and on the backside of the strop you can use it to play a mean game of cribbage! LOL

Chris L

As mentioned above that's a pretty good find. I have revived many vintage strops by this method.

Cleaning with a touch of saddle soap and barely moist cloth.

If it's dry, I will rub in dabs of Neat's foot oil on both sides of the leather. I masage the oil to the leather until it feels like healthy leather should.

I work the leather over a rounded edge of a counter top. It looks like I'm buffing the counter edge. I do this on both sides. I do this until leather feels supple. I also do this with the new strops I make.

Then I go after nicks with fine 220 sand paper. Gashes or deep nicks, I'll start out with 150 and then finish with 220. If the leather feels very slick I'll run the 220 lightly over the finishing side to help with the draw.

This will do wonders for an old veteran strop.

Kenrups method should work for you. As a substitute for the neats foot oil I use Lexoil to clean and condition leather, I keep it around for my saddles. Another alternative you might have on hand is Murphy's Oil Soap, it's glycerin based and does a great job on leather. The olive oil wasn't a bad thought, but it just dries out to quickly, no damage done though and it will work just not as well or for as long as a glycerin or neats foot preparation.

The back with all those impressions, I'm sure, was used to hold sharpening paste at one time. It looks like a killer sharpening surface. A little past safe use though. Interesting find.

thanks for the fantastic feedback guys, i'm glad to hear that i'll be able to save this strop. I'm wondering where i can get some of those oils, i was hoping that i would be able to find them or something similar in a hardware store? i'm trying to avoid having to order a new product off the internet which seems to be happening every few weeks

As for that nick (at the top), i was thinking slicing it off with a scalpel blade which i've got (and could lay flat on the strop and only slice the nick off. Then i was thinking of going over it with my 1000 grit sand paper that i had for lapping my stones, do you think this will suffice or should i go and get some 220 grit (personally that seems a bit low and i was thinking i would end up with scratch marks)

thanks again guys

ofeo

You should be able to find some of the leather care prducts at your local hardware store, probably not the big box's though. 220 works better than 1000 on leather.

The only thing I would add would be to restore that one and put it away and use a dud strop or starter strop while you get used to stropping. More nicks will likely occur as the did with me. After a short while nicking should not be a problem. Cheers MikeB

Just to mention, you might need quite a bit of oil and time to get it restored, so...

+1 to getting a starter TM as you'll know what most people here like the best, and to see if you can restore that strop to its level. Problem with restoring something when you are new to the hobby is that if you don't have a target to work towards you may think half way is "good enough" and just not know.

Just my opinion.

I got some neats foot oil on the weekend and got around to fixing up the strop, it all worked a treat and the leather is now very flexible and i light used the 220 on the slick side as it was a bit too slick so it all seems pretty good now so i'm indebted to you guys

I did what i could to the back side, i used the 220 on it and it's better than what it was but i guess i won't use this side? i wonder what it's for as it seem too ruff to use (even if it didn't have the gashed at the end - which i've sanded down).

thanks again

orfeo

i should also note that now that the strop is in working order i've been able to pass the hanging hair test with my razor which i'd been having difficulty with and had thought that i wasn't honing the blade well enough but it seems that i was just missing a good stropping.