Thread: How to bring out "the Draw" from a new strop?

From reading similar posts I have seen a LIGHT application of neatsfoot oil recommended. As far as pasting the fabric, I wouldn't paste the fabric if it was my only hanging strop. It is good to have one with paste but it is better to have one clean and use the pasted one as needed..... IMHO.

I have a bunch of vintage strops. Most of the old barber strops seem to have been made of Shell. A.K.A. horsehide which has little if any draw. The strop may not feel like it is doing something while in reality it is.

Congrats, that is a beautiful strop!

I am conservative. I followed Lynn's advice and was rubbing mine with palms and thumbs couple times a day for about two weeks - no oils, no lather. It has a very nice draw now.

If you want your fabric more aggressive, get a white paste for strops from TI.

Neatsfoot oil or (more expensive but no better) dovo yellow paste will increase the draw. Lightly apply the neatsfoot oil by rubbing it well in with an old rag, wipe off any excess with a clean rag and leave overnight for it to be absorbed - the draw will be so great just after applying it that you will think the blade has got stuck, but leaving it overnight lets it get right into the leather and the draw decreases.

Some people rub a bar of soap over the linen side, then work it in with a bottle. All the antique strops I have got have had something or other applied to them.

Regards,
Neil

My family has alot of inherited antiques... My Dad's family were the ultimate pack rats. Somewhere, Dad has a bottle of "Neat's Foot Oil". Yup, the original. "Neat" was the company name. "Foot Oil" was the name of the product. Last time I saw that bottle (which was about twenty years ago), it still had some left in it. Hmm. Wonder if it'd work on my strop.

I imagine the best place to get Neat's Foot Oil today is from a horse tackle shop?

The very best thing would be to continually as time permits, rub your palm on the strop. In no time it will develop significant draw as the Red Latigo does. If you decide to use Neatsfoot Oil, be sparing and rub it in very well. As far as the webbing, it will take the paste without problem, but your choice.

Have fun,

Lynn

For the "sparingly" that Lynn mentions, try, not putting the oil on the strop, put it on and old cotton washcloth, then use that to rub the strop, then the heel of the palm....

Notice I said "old" or you suffer the wrath of SWMBO, not a good thing trust me on this

FloorPizza - the "neat" in neatsfoot comes from an old anglo-saxon word for cattle. The oil was made from the feet (minus the hoof), thus neat's foot. Over time the two words became compounded into one - neatsfoot.

Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

FloorPizza - the "neat" in neatsfoot comes from an old anglo-saxon word for cattle. The oil was made from the feet (minus the hoof), thus neat's foot. Over time the two words became compounded into one - neatsfoot.

Regards,
Neil

Very cool info... next time I'm up at Dad's I'll see if I can find that old bottle and take a picture of it. They have so many antiques, though, I'm not sure I can wade through it all.

Thanks for the help re: the strop draw, gents. I think I'll stick to rubbing it daily with the palm of my hand for a while and see how it goes. I also think I'm going to remove the 1.0 micron diamond paste from my paddle strop (since i have a 16k -1micron- Shapton now), and replace it with the chrome ox. That will leave my new fabric strop untouched. I was thinking about applying the chrome ox to one side of the fabric strop, but I'm afraid it would make it too awkward to try and use the unpasted side without the leather strop getting in the way.

Or...I guess I could remove the .50 diamond paste from the paddle strop and put the chrome ox there, instead... isn't chrome ox supposed to be about .50 micron?

I don't know about your particular strop but I have the TM red Latigo and it has loads of draw without treating it. Of course if your razors aren't sharp you will have little draw but I assume thats not your issue. Could be just a different surface treatment on the SRP strops. I would try a little oil like the others said but just a tad or use the oil from your hand.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I don't know about your particular strop but I have the TM red Latigo and it has loads of draw without treating it. Of course if your razors aren't sharp you will have little draw but I assume thats not your issue. Could be just a different surface treatment on the SRP strops. I would try a little oil like the others said but just a tad or use the oil from your hand.

Same Latigo and it will produce the same results. That's why I recommend the palm rubbing. These strops actually have a nice draw to start with and simply get better with use.

Have fun,

Lynn