Thread: my way of conditioning a strop

Thank you for sharing using Nivea for strop dressing. I used Nivea when I first started straight razor shaving. It worked on my then nicked-up face. It also kept my hands from chapping. My 827 Illinois will get some through the back side but not on the stropping surface. Only if and when needed will it get the treatment. So far the 827 is a top strop!

I did something similar with a cheap strop I purchased. It was a Russian strop and was very rough. Had a tough time trying to get a good edge on my blade. In a last ditch effort I also used a rough grit sanding block to take off all the extra bumps and material in the leather. I then followed it up with 1000 grit sandpaper. I then used saddle soap on the strop and used a marble rolling pin to try and get a nice smooth surface on the strop. It seems to have worked. Did 100 passes on the strop and it's seems to have passed the arm hair test.

Nivea cream makes sense. The available neatsfoot oil here (Brazil) stinks like Devil's armpits, so I keep my leather jacket and other leather stuff with nivea cream and it works very well. Not my strop (it usually nicks itself too ) because I received a tube of yellow Dovo lard with it, but Nivea cream would be my first choice if I had nothing else available.

Gentlemen,

You have noted some creative methods of conditioning the strop. If it works for you, that's the way go. For me, the daily palm rubbing — before the morning shower — has kept my strops sweet and supple.

I know the hand rubbing works like a dream for me and many others. I am guessing the nivea suggestion died for lack of interest since the OP here is from December 2008.

Bob,

Here is a little story:

A young composer visited the great opera composer Verdi. He said he had written this work and proceeded to describe, in detail, what he would do in this part . . . and that part . . . and he kept going on and on with his grandiose ideas and plans. Finally, he stopped and asked Verdi, "Master, what would you do?" Verdi thought a moment and replied, "I'd just sit down and write some music."

Which aptly illustrates my thoughts on all the exotic and creative — and some a little weird — methods to condition a strop, whereas all I do is to give it a little hand rubbing every morning before the shower — and that's gold for life.

Some of the best advice I have seen is to use a tallow based soap to condition the leather strop.
Here is an example of a tallow shave stick.

As above,lather the strop,work it in with a wine bottle on a hard flat surface,wipe with a damp cloth,done.
It really works.

Originally Posted by Obie

Bob,

Here is a little story:

A young composer visited the great opera composer Verdi. He said he had written this work and proceeded to describe, in detail, what he would do in this part . . . and that part . . . and he kept going on and on with his grandiose ideas and plans. Finally, he stopped and asked Verdi, "Master, what would you do?" Verdi thought a moment and replied, "I'd just sit down and write some music."

Which aptly illustrates my thoughts on all the exotic and creative — and some a little weird — methods to condition a strop, whereas all I do is to give it a little hand rubbing every morning before the shower — and that's gold for life.

That's easy for Verdi to have said. When you're a prodigy and hear music in your head all the time the biggest problem is getting it down before you forget it.

I'd just watch the organic ingredients in whatever you use. Over time they can become rancid.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

That's easy for Verdi to have said. When you're a prodigy and hear music in your head all the time the biggest problem is getting it down before you forget it.

I'd just watch the organic ingredients in whatever you use. Over time they can become rancid.

Spendur, my friend, if you hear it in your head, then put it down on paper the simplest way you can and worry about the detail later. And what's more, don't talk about composing it, or writing it, just sit down and put a few notes or words on paper.