Thread: Getting lumps out of the linen on vintage strops

I have a small collection of vintage razor strops. The three vintage strops seen in the photo had linens that looked like a seriously bumpy road. The leather was fine but the lined was not usable.

I took one linen to a dry cleaner and he was afraid of damaging it so he took it and put it on his steam press and gave it a few seconds trying to flatten it. No luck. I put it on the back burner until recently.

Last week I took one of the linens and laid it in a wash bucket filled with water and a couple of capfuls of Woolite. I let the linen soak for an hour or so and then gave it a bit of a scrubbing. I put it on a flat surface and rolled it out with a whisky bottle.

The next day it was dry and flat as a pancake. I did another using the same method with the same results. For the third linen I decided to throw it in the washing machine. I threw it in with some sheets and towels and washed it with warm wash/cold rinse.

It came out alright but not as good as the two washed in the bucket. I rolled it out and it did get to flat with more rolling and finally drying but I recommend the bucket approach if anyone wants to try this. It is the one in the center in the photos.

I should have took pictures before and after rather then just after but I didn't so here they are as a finished product.