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I am trying to go really old-school with my shaving. Some people recommended using olive oil to condition the strop. However, I HATE olives. Since I want to use something that was available like a century ago, I was thinking of using either lard or petroleum jelly. What do you guys think about those two?
P.S. I even have some home-made, unscented lard soap lol.
Lard is made from animal fat, I believe ..... I'm not to keen on vegetable shortening either for all the added stuff in it. There are OTHER sorts of oils. Walnut oil, sesame oil, or how about "Bag Balm"? Bag Balm is a lanolin rich cream dairy farmers used to apply to chapped teats on a cow's udder. It makes great hand cream too. Strop conditioners like Fromm also have lanolin in them.Quote:
Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT
So animal fat is a no-no? How about petroleum jelly (vaseline)? It's used to condition skin, so I believe it would be good for leather and it's been around for a while.
It's not that animal fat is a no-no. After-all, leather also is from (duh) an animal. Neatsfoot oil, for instance, is a slaughterhouse byproduct that has been used for over a hundred years as a leather "waterproofing" application for shoes and hunting boots, and as a general, non-waxy conditioner.Quote:
Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT
Some animal, even some vegetable fats, can go rancid in some climats. If you live someplace like St. Louis or south Florida where summer brings high humidity and heat, and don't have air-conditioning, that can be a problem. If you hang your strop on the back porch and flies are drawn to it, you probably want to switch conditioners. :roll:
I have used heavy mineral oil, neatsfoot oil, mink oil, Goop and a couple of others.
The main question you want to ask yourself is, what am I going to do if I use the wrong stuff or to much of it?. To much and the strop feels like a sticky mess. Then you have to clean it off and start over.
I now use Neatsfoot oil, very sparingly. A couple of drops, worked in very well with the heel of my palm. Rub the strop with a glass bottle, wait a day or two and repeat if necessary.If I had to do it over again I would purchase the strop conditioner from classicshaving.com
That is why I am asking now before actually doing it. My angle on this whole issue is that before the invention of the "safety" razor, people used straight razors as a regular shaving implement. It was not a novelty. They did not have to order shaving products from halfway across the continent. Hones are a different story, as it's almost impossible to get a naturally-occuring decent product, but logic tells me that they must have used something readily available to condition their strops, whether it was here in Canada or in Florida. I am just trying to find out what it/they was/were.
I have actually tried using a cream moisturizer that I use for my face, "Cetaphil". I keep mentioning that here, because it is cheap, and dematologist (mine) recommended.
I figured that if it worked on my facial skin, it should work on the strop. I used it on my Illinois 361, and it seems to soften it even moreso that the Fromm Strop conditioner. It has lanolin and aloe, doesn't smell, and I know my face can handle it.
A thought, anyway.
Hey David,
To use bag balm on a strop, how much is used ?
I just got a red leather / linen strop from George, and I'm wondering how to condition it, if I even need to ?
Thanks, Steve
I used olive oil, but it didn't seem to do too much. On Lynn's advice I put Mink Oil on my 361 strop which had some unevenness issues and it has softened up and evened out nicely. He recommended Baseball Glove Oil first. I suspect any leather conditioner or boot oil would work.
X
You probably do not need to condition the strop from George. If you decide to then start by using 3 pea sized drops and rubbing them in . Then let it set a day and see if it needs just a little more. You are looking for a uniform color on the strop after it has set a day or so. Be sure to condition the back of the strop. It dries out from that side also.
Hope this helps,
[quote="randydance062449"]
Be sure to condition the back of the strop. It dries out from that side also.
*****>> D'Uh! (light going off over head) I never thought, or did that! the BACK of the strop! that should make it softer all the way through .... will do that today for a few strops!
I am also going to try using the Bag Balm - (which works GREAT up here in the cold Northeast on human skin!) - on a strop or two.
I LOVE experimenting with all these toys!!!
Best - thanks for the good tip, Randy!
(Can't wait for my beard to grow out again so I can shave with my new SRP again! :)
Okay - tried tha Bag Balm to condition a couple of strops - WORKED GREAT!!! :)
Used very little, and worked it in with fingers first, then the palm of the hand. It really, really softened and conditioned the leather, and stropping on it was a pleasure!
You can buy a tin of Bag Balm at about any pharmacy. it is cheap, and the tin will last many years (unless you do a herd of cows with it!) :)
Best -
.
.
Wow!, from 16 years ago! :)
Anyone reading this needs to ignore the above advice. My comments were made at a time when this subject was in its infancy.
We have learned a lot during the following years. Go to the Library first and read up there first then go to the Strops forum for more info.
I do not use 3 dots of oil anymore. I now use neatsfoot oil only and then I spread a bit on my fingers, make X"s on my strop then rub it in and wait for a weak or two to see the effect. Most of my strops have not been oiled in years.
Just my 2¢ :)
I’m consistent with Randy’s advice these days. I also have a 10+ year old Kanoyama 80000 that I bought used and I’ve never put anything on it. It’s polished like a mirror and as supple as the day that I got it. Iwasaki says to never put oil on a shell strop, it will cut the polishing power in half.
Sometimes I do use neatsfoot oil, on desiccated non-shell vintage strops (rare for me these days), and on boar strops. I use it like Randy does, I rub it on my hands then rub my hands on the desiccated vintage strop or the boar strop. Then wait a few days and assess the results.
Yep.
This is what I do also. But o ly on a strop I find dry or vintage and needing help. A little goes a very long way. I give it 2 or 3 weeks before deciding if it needs more. If it does need more then I will do the opisite/back side next. Too much on the stropping serface is not a good thing.
I've always used a rag, dampened with warm water. Then I add a touch of neatsfoot oil to the rag, then rub it in.
The slight bit of water helps draw the oil deeper into the dry leather, of a old strop.
For the few times I've felt they were over oiled, I've wiped them a pass or two, with a clean rag moistened with rubbing alcohol, them palm rub them, again.
Just make sure the rag is only damp, not wet. Your just wanting to pull a bit of oil from the surface of the strop.
I once got a red died strop from SRD before it went under that was so oily I never did get it cleaned. The rubbing alcohol was used a ton but it still kept bleading red and was soaked with oil no mater what I did. I think I cut it up and used it for something other than stropping.