Thread: Breaking in a new strop

So, I got my new strop today - an IRC #127. The only problem is it's stiff as a board, and here in NZ it's incredibly hard to buy strop dressing, neatsfoot or mink oil to break it in with, and I'm too broke to buy some off the net for a while, what with the exorbitant shipping costs to NZ and the exchange rate. Would baby oil be acceptable, or will this bugger the leather?
Also, what should I do to the linen side to soften it? I read in a restoration thread about someone resoaping the linen on a vintage strop, but wasn't sure of the purpose, so any info regarding breaking in linen or soaping linen is much appreciated. Is this necessary or just something some people choose to do?
Cheers guys,
Tom

I use the same leather dressing that I use on my bespoke shoes. After all, a strop is made of leather, too. Seems to work alright.

The barbers manuals talk of using lather to break in a strop.

Smooth Glass bottles.

Russian strop. This strop was originally imported from
Russia. Most of these strops are now made in this country
from cowhide leather. The name Russian strop still persists,
and usually signifies that the Russian method of tanning was
employed.
The Russian strop is one of the best strops in use today.
If new it requires a daily hand finish until such time as it is
thoroughly broken in. Thereafter, it will require an occasional
servicing. There are several ways of breaking in a
Russian strop. One method frequently used is as follows :
1. Rub dry pumice stone over the strop in order to remove
the outer nap and develop a smooth surface.
2. Rub stiff lather into the strop.
3. Rub dry pumice stone over the strop until smooth.
4. Clean off the strop.
5. Rub fresh stiff lather into the strop.
6. Rub a smooth glass bottle several times over the strop
until a smooth surface is developed.
Another method of breaking in a Russian strop is to omit
the pumice stone. Instead, stiff lather is rubbed into the strop
with the aid of a smooth glass bottle or with the palm of the
hand.

This is the only break in method that my manual mentions.

If i recall correctly, a couple other members on here have used baby oil/mineral oil on their strops and like it. I would test a small spot on the strop and see how it looks and feels.
My father used to use apply oil to his leather boots and then use a hair dryer to warm the leather a bit, to open up the pores(skin), so it would absorb the oil more readily. I did that to my dovo strop and it worked well...
Glad ya got your strop...fun times. :-)

Mac

Thanks guys. I know about using glass bottles to break it (have the label soaking off a beer bottle as we speak so I can use as smooth a surface as possible, and to prevent paper from making its way onto the strop for me to pick off). I just wasn't sure as to the suitability of baby oil.

Anyone know anything about the question regarding the linen I asked above?

McWolf - I'm looking forward to being able to do a proper stropping on linen and leather, rather than the home-made newspaper strop I've been using until this arrived.

Originally Posted by mosley59

Thanks guys. I know about using glass bottles to break it (have the label soaking off a beer bottle as we speak so I can use as smooth a surface as possible, and to prevent paper from making its way onto the strop for me to pick off). I just wasn't sure as to the suitability of baby oil.

Anyone know anything about the question regarding the linen I asked above?

McWolf - I'm looking forward to being able to do a proper stropping on linen and leather, rather than the home-made newspaper strop I've been using until this arrived.

Hey Tom,
I understand...i love stropping linen and leather...i can do it for hours. lol
Sorry i cant help with your linen problem...it does have the CrOx paste applied to it?

Mac

Originally Posted by BeBerlin

I use the same leather dressing that I use on my bespoke shoes. After all, a strop is made of leather, too. Seems to work alright.

Yup, I've used 'Hubberd's Boot Grease" and "Sno-Seal." I think the sno-seal does a better job between the two.

Hey mosley59. Oakwood leather conditioner is great for leather strops & may be available locally for you. Or you can get it on line.
Oakwood Products

I'll give a boring suggestion. I broke in my strops by stopping, a lot of stropping. And lots of hand rubbing, while pulled taut on the hook. You'd be surprised what even a week of this sort of thing, a few times daily, will do to improve a brand new strop. It improves pretty quickly.

Ironically, even nicking my new strops with the razor seemed to help them in the long run. The glueing, sanding, and and extra hand rubbing to repair them actually improved them over time with use, just like a good saddle. Lots of use is the key I think. My original nicked and repaired strop is marginally better than my un-nicked ones, just from sheer use and rubbing.

If there's any accelerating trick I've found, it's to use the skin oil rubbed from my forehead onto my palm when rubbing the strop. I figure I have more skin oil on my face than on my hands, and it's probably cleaner too. And free.

Thanks guys. I nicked the strop already (god knows how, I was really careful!) so have had to sand it already. The wiki recommends 600 grit, but the finest I could get my hands on was Norton 220 wet/dry. Not sure if the 220 refers to the grit or what, but it felt about the same as a pumice stone, so I figured it shouldn't bee too bad. It took a bit of the dark brown finish off with it, so it's now chocolate brown with a few lighter blotches. Have I damaged my strop by using this?

I also rubbed a tiny amount of baby oil onto it to augment my natural skin oils (face and hands - good idea thanks FatboySlim!), so it's now velvety smooth. It's also got a fair bit more flex from a lot of hand-rubbing, so it's no longer like a leather board. Hopefully a couple of weeks and it'll be as supple as a belt or something similar.