I recently found a strop that belonged to my dear old granddad and have started to restore it. Luckily the strop had been stored hanging so it is already very flat. Aside from freshening it up with a pumice stone and neatsfoot oil, the leather didn't require much work and turned out very nice

The linen is a different story. It seems to be only slightly dirty, but it is very stiff. Almost like a freshly starched pair of blue jeans from the cleaners. I've never used a linen strop before but I'm assuming from various pictures that it should be soft and flexible. So far all I've done is wash it in soapy water and scrub with a brush which took some of the dirt out but had no effect on the stiffness. The texture of the linen is very smooth, but again I've never used a new linen so there's nothing to compare it to. I'm assuming that I would not want to use a razor on the linen in this condition. I've already considered replacing it with a new piece but for sentimental value I would like it be original. Any ideas?

-Robert