Thread: Advise needed refurbishing an old strop.

I snagged a really old strop on ebay.

The leather was a little stiff, but the surface is good. A little saddle soap and neatsfoot oil has done wonders, lost all the gold leaf in the process though.

I de-rusted the swivel hardware and a couple treatments with Birchwood Casey Plum Browning should prevent problems in the future.

The fly in the ointment is the cloth strap ("Imported Scotch Linen, Heavy 3-Ply"). Even after a soaking and scrubbing with laundry detergent and water it was like a wavy piece of plywood. I soaked it again and ironed it flat, it's now like a perfectly flat piece of plywood.

Any ideas on how make the linen more pliable would be greatly appreciated.

I would ask why you want the linen pliable firstly, then suggest you try the linen as it is. Most old treatments for the linen were to stiffen and lubricate the surface with aftermarket abrasive paste applied as seen fit by the end user. I favour the "starched" type linens over the raw soft ones and would sugest you try both types before you consider what approach to take with this 3 ply linen.

PuFF

Good point Puff.

Having a board-stiff linen just seemed unwieldy. That aside, I'm a bit concerned that the semi-circular bracket which clamps both straps will be torqued down by the long lever-arm of the heavy linen when the leather is stretched out for stropping. I can see the leather being cut into by the bracket when this happens.

Maybe I'll try some kind of spacer or padding between the leather and bracket.

Have I read that right....you hold just the leather for final strop and linen alone when using that?
Try holding the linen and leather together when you strop. I see no need to hold then individually for stropping. No strain that way.

PuFF

To be quite honest, to me the cloth is secondary to the leather. I would just trash it and buy some new stuff from Tony Miller. A cloth strop is cheap. It ain't worth the time and scrubbing and ironing and all that to me.

Originally Posted by PuFFaH

Have I read that right....you hold just the leather for final strop and linen alone when using that?
Try holding the linen and leather together when you strop. I see no need to hold then individually for stropping. No strain that way.

PuFF

I reassembled the strop last night tried it both ways, it seemed to work better holding both straps at the same time. The "board-like" linen actually seemed to support the leather providing a flatter surface.

I didn't think of this a first because my other strop has a single handle and the leather and canvas are connected through the same square ring the handle is attached to.

Thanks for the help!

Just confirming that holding both strops together is the correct way. Don't trash the linen. But if you do, just send it to me for proper disposal.


Scott

I think I deserve the linen if he throws it away

PuFF