When I purchased an Illinois #827 strop, the vendor recommended applying an initial coat of Fromm's Strop Conditioner. Also mentioned this is the only strop that he recommended to apply an initial coating.

I applied the initial coating, a dime sized dollop of the stuff....helped work the strop in well as it shed quite a bit at the beginning...looked a bit like orange peel as another member put it at first.

Had another strop that dried out particularly badly, figured I'd apply some of the Fromm's to it and it brought it right back.

Haven't used any since, just palm rubbing, but the conditioner seemed to do what it was supposed to do...