Thread: vintage illinois 361 strop problem

Hi Guys, I have a vintage Illinois 361 horsehide strop with a bend in the middle of the leather,it was sent to me folded over in the package and does not hang straight. does anyone in the forum know of how to fix this problem so I can strop with it properly

Does the "bend" come out when you pull it taut enough to strop with or was it bent to the point of putting a crease or wrinkles in it that don't come out when you pull it tight?

Are you trying to use it as is or were you planning on cleaning and conditioning it first?

When I pull the strop taut there is still a bump in the leather. On first receiving it, I put some fromm strop dressing on it thinking that would help, but it didn't. There is no crease where the bend is but minute surface wrinkles. I didn't know you could clean a strop, would that help?

Iron it out, use same temperature as for wool. Both wool and leather are protein-based substances. It worked for me in the past. Protect both the iron and the ironing board with a tea towel.

Originally Posted by jules

When I pull the strop taut there is still a bump in the leather. On first receiving it, I put some fromm strop dressing on it thinking that would help, but it didn't. There is no crease where the bend is but minute surface wrinkles. I didn't know you could clean a strop, would that help?

Using the proper products you can clean any type of leather...and strops are fairly easy to clean.

I'm partial to the Lexol brand of products and they make a cleaner and two types of conditioners made specifically for leather. You can check them out on their website and buy them at most auto parts stores...I got mine at a nearby Advance Auto.

The bump isn't much of a problem...clean (if necessary) and condition using maybe just a little more conditioner than necessary then place the strop on a flat surface and put something flat and heavy on it. It might take a day or two but the bump will eventually "iron" out.

The wrinkles are more difficult and if they are large enough they can't be pressed out using the above technique you might have to use sandpaper or a pumice stone to get rid of them. If you do sand I'd recommend cleaning and conditioning again to get rid of ALL sanding residue. I've also gotten tiny wrinkles out by placing the strop on a flat surface and rubbing with a glass bottle using a lot of pressure.

I had a vintage strop with that exact problem and I tried everything. I even hung it with a 50lb weight attached for a month. What finally worked is soaking the strop in warm water until it was completely saturated and then letting it dry slowly at room temperature. The crease came right out. The only issue is many times the strop will be left with stains from the water. it may not look nice but it doesn't affect its performance in the least.

Originally Posted by Kees

Iron it out, use same temperature as for wool. Both wool and leather are protein-based substances. It worked for me in the past. Protect both the iron and the ironing board with a tea towel.

i think i may try that on mine.. steam w/ iron? or just dry heat?

Originally Posted by p.z.

i think i may try that on mine.. steam w/ iron? or just dry heat?

Steam is useful on fabric as it can reach the individual fibers but as leather is more solid than fabric I do not think it will be very useful, moreover it might take some of the useful oils out of the leather.

I sold a fellow an extra heavy Black Latigo Apprentice Strop last year packed neatly in a box. He asked if he could trade it for a different model and sent it back folded crisply in half in a soft, unpadded mailer envelope <g>. I never got the crease out.

Tony

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

I sold a fellow an extra heavy Black Latigo Apprentice Strop last year packed neatly in a box. He asked if he could trade it for a different model and sent it back folded crisply in half in a soft, unpadded mailer envelope <g>. I never got the crease out.

Tony

That is a real shame....I'm very conscious of not bending my strop when I bring it anywhere. If I bring it in the car I find what works best is just hanging it on those little hooks that are meant for dry cleaning. That way it just hangs when I drive, no bending what-so-ever!

Dave