Thread: 40+ Year old Russian Strop

I have a Russian strop that I got from my dad who has been a barber for almost 50 years. I know I was spanked with it at least a few times when I was a kid, so it would have to be 40+ years old. The leather is great; however, the linen strop that is part of it feels and looks like it has a waxy buildup on it. Do I need to try to get this off, or is it okay to just use it as is? If he did paste it, I don't even know if the past is really doing anything at this point anyway. Whatever it is, it is not colored at all. There are reddish maroon splotches on the backside of the linen, so I'm pretty sure he pasted that side at one time, but is that also paste that I see and feel on the front side of the linen?

I also have a C-MON strop that he gave me from the same era and the linen looks the same as the Russian.

Thanks for the help,
Tod

I have a small collection of vintage strops including a couple of different models of C-Mons. I have taken the linens off if they were lumpy and hand washed them in a bucket of cold water with Woolite. I lay them on a flat surface to dry and they come out without the lumps. If they were pasted the washing will get some of it out.

On the ones I have I used them washed or not with no problems. I think that if you Dad used them with whatever he put on them they will probably be fine if you use them. If you are in doubt try one razor on them for a while and see it all goes well.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I have a small collection of vintage strops including a couple of different models of C-Mons. I have taken the linens off if they were lumpy and hand washed them in a bucket of cold water with Woolite. I lay them on a flat surface to dry and they come out without the lumps. If they were pasted the washing will get some of it out.

On the ones I have I used them washed or not with no problems. I think that if you Dad used them with whatever he put on them they will probably be fine if you use them. If you are in doubt try one razor on them for a while and see it all goes well.

I have used it a few times and it seems to work just fine. I'm just so new to this that I really don't have a reference to rate 'just fine,' if you know what I mean. Maybe this vintage strop with the waxy linen works better than a new one, or maybe it doesn't. I don't really know and certainly don't want to spend the money for a new one to compare. It's encouraging to hear that you have used yours with no problems, though.


Thanks for the info Jimmey

Tod

This waxy linen is how the strops come and is to be preferred. If it is clean then use it but if it shows dirt then a clean up with shaving lather and dried off will do. don't soak the strop with lather just make the lather nice and stiff and fluff it on with your shaving brush and leave. When it starts to set/dry, buff it with the palm vigorously then wipe off the excess with a clean dry cloth, softly.

PuFF

Originally Posted by PuFFaH

This waxy linen is how the strops come and is to be preferred. If it is clean then use it but if it shows dirt then a clean up with shaving lather and dried off will do. don't soak the strop with lather just make the lather nice and stiff and fluff it on with your shaving brush and leave. When it starts to set/dry, buff it with the palm vigorously then wipe off the excess with a clean dry cloth, softly.

PuFF

Thanks PuFF, Great information.