Sanding My Strops

Hey all,

So I've come across several references to sanding a leather strop to give it a little more draw...and I figured I'd try it out! So I made an excursion to the hardward store today to buy some sandpaper, and I ended up getting some 220 and 320 grit paper. The two strops I was going to try to touch up are an Illinois #127 and a paddle strop from Lee Valley.
I started with the Illinois #127 strop, and I tried sanding it VERY lighty with the 220, and was quickly pleased with the results! After I sanded it a bit with the 220, then the 320, the leather had a very velvety smooth feel to it. Exactly what I wanted, since the feel prior to the sanding was very hard and stiff. I worked in a bit of Fromm leather conditioning, and put a very heavy atlas on top of it to keep in flat.
Since I had such great success with my hanging strop, I decided to try the same with my paddle strop. My paddle strop was COVERED (I mean 1mm thick on the whole strop) with green chromium oxide that I bought in a brick form that I rubbed on. It was not very even, and I soon learned that this was NOT what it was supposed to look like! So I found some very rough sandpaper, and began sanding off this insanely thick green layer, not knowing what the leather would look like afterwards.... It took a while, but I was eventually able to get ALL of the green stuff off the leather, and besides looking a little pale, felt very smooth and even. I then sanded with the 220 then the 320 grit, and was very pleased with the outcome!!! THe leather had a very fine nap to it, and it felt like suede. I applied a little Fromm to it, and it got a very rich colour to it.
All in all, I'm very happy with the risk that I took, since I was initially worried I would screw up my strops! My piece of advice for anyone willing to try sanding your strop is to be VERY gentle, since you don't know how the leather will respond to the sandpaper.

Just thought I would share my positive experience with everyone, especially for those who are thinking of touching up their strop.

Thanks for reading,
Dave

Thank you for sharing, David.

The information you have provided is very much appreciated, by me!

Regards,

Steve

Good job, Dave. You gave your strops a "nubuck" finish. Finer than suede. Silky. I prefer my strops that way as well, both horse and cowhide.

Enjoy!

Chris L

Today I watched my barber sand out a cut on his strop with one of those abrasive brick-like rust remover/polishers sold at gun shows. There are several makes of them. Knife people also use them to clean up old rusty blades. It did a good job on the strop. It was comforting to see that even experienced strop users make a slip from time to time. At least I now know how to take care of such misfortunes. He had used it on some of his razors to remove rust and stains. I would be careful using it on an etched blade, although it is claimed not to scratch the metal. I dunno.

I think I may try this. I have always wanted a little more drag from my strop. Thanks for the instructions!

i typically give my strops a once-over with 240 grit wet/dry about every six months... keeps 'em flat and pulling right.

As always when sanding strops, just be sure to rub your hand vigorously when you're done to get out ALL the sanding particles, or you could end up with a nasty surprise to your razor! :gaah:

Mark

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Milton Man

As always when sanding strops, just be sure to rub your hand vigorously when you're done to get out ALL the sanding particles, or you could end up with a nasty surprise to your razor! :gaah:

Mark

---

Good point, Mark. I use a micro-fiber cloth which if anyone has ever used one, picks up anything and gets the strop surface totally debris free.

Chris L

Or use a saddle soap/spray on leather cleaner. Belvoir works great for me.

Good points about the sandpaper debris.... I was really careful too after sanding. I didn't want any little pieces or debris from the sandpaper left on the strop, I can just imagine the damage it could do to a razor's edge.:eek: I just rubbed mine a lot with my hands then with a rag quite hard to make sure everything was rubbed off the strop.

Dave

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by timberrr59

Today I watched my barber sand out a cut on his strop with one of those abrasive brick-like rust remover/polishers sold at gun shows. There are several makes of them. Knife people also use them to clean up old rusty blades. It did a good job on the strop. It was comforting to see that even experienced strop users make a slip from time to time. At least I now know how to take care of such misfortunes. He had used it on some of his razors to remove rust and stains. I would be careful using it on an etched blade, although it is claimed not to scratch the metal. I dunno.

---

I'd be careful with what type of those sponge like sanding pads you use as some are impregnated with aluminum oxide and you might end up turning your strop into a pasted strop.

Gentlemen,
someone mentioned an old barbers trick of scraping the strop with a pair of scissors, I did it to my old Keen Edge strop, on the fine side, it sure works and increases the draw nicely, I later shaved with an old Cadman razor and got a really nice shave. I may just the strop a light touch with some fine sand paper, and a quick rub with some RM Williams saddle dressing.


Cheers

Gordon

When I use my strop for very first time, I made many nicks on the strop. I use sandpaper to remove nicks and as a side-effect got very smooth and nice surface. Only difference is that I used 1000 grit sandpaper.

--
Z

awsome info thanks!

a pumice stone works as well...

how bout using 180 grit? or is that too low?

I wouldn't go lower than 1000 grit IMO.
Yesterday I used 1200 and 2000 and a pumice stone to get out a couple of nicks.
Looks like brandnew again.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by zib

a pumice stone works as well...

---

+1 ... As do diamond plates. I feel very uncomfortable with the idea of sandpapers leaving grit behind even after supposed cleaning.

Ill have to give this a try on my first strop that is all nicked up. Thanks.

I have in the recent past gone from 320 to 400 to 600 to 1000 grits and got what I consider very good results.
YMMV, if you think you might need to, give it a try, use a light hand, and clean any and ALL grit from papers off the surface before useing.

Thanks for reading, 'have a good one fellow face scrapers!!

How can you be sure that you've cleaned all the grit off the surface?

No grit is left behind.
I sanded my paddle strop from 120 all the way up to 1500, no grit left on the surface that I can feel while stropping. The surface is very shiny and almost mirrored.

+1 on that, if you go from lower to higher grits carefully enough, and wiping between grits, should work out fine for you.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Dimitry

How can you be sure that you've cleaned all the grit off the surface?

---

AFAIC a microscope is the only sure way to know. Pic below is 800 grit wetndri particle, the big shiny one just left of centre. Approx 200x. You won't feel that with your finger.

Usually after polishing my strop with sand paper I clean it twice with wet cloth. After that before using razor I make good stroping for my kitchen knife, this operation is very good for grit removing. Than once again cleaning with wet cloth. Only after all these operations I start stroping my razors.

Sounds like one more great reason to have a DMT325 in the house.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ChrisL

Good point, Mark. I use a micro-fiber cloth which if anyone has ever used one, picks up anything and gets the strop surface totally debris free.

Chris L

---

+1 Microfiber cloth is a great idea, thanks!

I have given the strop a careful vacuuming after sanding using the bristle brush attachment. Subsequent stropping showed no signs of any sanding residue. Works for me.....

Jerry
____

I think I'll try this with my rolls razor strop. When I first got it, it had red stuff on it. Being a germ freak, I promply washed it. Later after some research I found it was the rolls strop paste. Oh well. Maybe sanding will make it usable again.

Surely the strop should still work fine for *stropping* without the paste?

the paste is for touch-up work, not for actual stropping.

And you can still just apply some new paste if you really want it :P

It can certainly give a strop a new lease of life. I usually start at 600 and finish with 1000, but I use well-worked diamond plates (paranoid about particles being left behind). If you dont have a plate, wet'n'dry sandpaper is much better than ordinary sandpaper - it leaves a lot less particles behind. Even so, on the odd occasion I have used wet'n'dry, I have used sheets that have already been used on another job - most of the looser particles have already fallen off by that point.

Regards,
Neil

Personally, I believe a strop has a certain life and that is it. I have cleaned many dozens of strops with saddle soap and water as well as sanded from 400 grit to 1000 grit and wiped between each grit with a damp cloth. A lot of times, the strop when clean will break back in with simple hand rubbing over a few days, although sometimes a small amount of neatsfoot oil helps. The key for me is what does the razor look like under the microscope after I have redone the strop. Am I seeing little sparklies at the edge or a crisp nice edge line. So long as a nice crisp edge line, we're in business.

Have fun.

yeah its just kinda dried out looking now. Some leather also cracked after cleaning it.

Hi WhiskerBiscuit!!

I missed this one for the longest time, glad you bumped it, cuz I have some input too!!

I still have my original (first ever) strop, and use it every day. It has slice marks and dark edges and missing chunks all over it. Each time I've wounded it, I have sanded just the affected areas with 600 grit, then finished it with Fromme's dressing. Then after @ 24 hours, I worked it with my hands, wash it and re-apply some more dressing. This second app I quickly wipe off with a dry soft cloth. Between these 2 applications and the constant wiping with the soft dry cloth, I don't believe (note the 'I don't believe') there were ever any particles left over. I always rub my strop down with my hands before each use anyway, just in case there are razor particles left over that might have come off an edge during the prior use. I am a little paranoid about something ruining my edges that I'm not prepared for.

I have never sanded the whole strop, even tho I have a DMT, so I might try that next on the whole strop and see if it gives a good result. Again, I'm a little paranoid about ruining it, so I might be really, really gentle first try.

Great posts, excellent question and SHAVE ON DUDES!!!

Mike