Conditioning A Red Latigo Strop

First off, I think I read somewhere that latigo leather requires a different conditioning routine than other leathers. Is this correct?

I have a Tony Miller 3" red latigo that I bought last year, my daily strop. I currently give it a rub down with my palm prior to every stropping session, as is the norm. Lately I've noticed that I don't get as much draw as I used to, usually a sign that a strop needs conditioning. Some areas are more "shiney" than others, and although the palm rub does seem to help this out a bit. Any ideas about what would help? Would neatsfoot or Fromms do the trick?

Ryan, I seem to remember that Tony sold a leather conditioner at one point, not sure if he still does? In addition to Neatsfoot oil, I'm wondering if you could use Lexol as well?

Joe

I also have a 3" Red Latigo. Fantastic strop! As I recall, Tony's instructions that came with it, advised that it doesn't need any conditioning whatsoever. Maybe Tony himself will weigh in.

Unless the strop is starting to dry out you don't need to do anything to it. The old oil from the palm trick is used by many and really any good leather conditioner or proper oil will do the job.

Ryan,

You can email Tony directly, but I think he say's not to use any conditioner's other than the palm of your hand....

At this point I wish I did have the instructions, as I bought my TM strop from a third party vendor (Shaving Shop had a limited quantity of Tony's strops last year) and it didn't come with any.

It's not that my strop isn't functional; it works fine, albeit with a bit less draw than it had, I just wasn't sure if it required any further maintenance than the good ol' palm trick. Like I said before I thought I saw a post sometime ago from one of our Strop Section regulars that said latigo should be treated differently from other leathers. Maybe I'm just imagining things :shrug:

Ryan,
Yes, John's Crowley's Shaving Shop was a dealer for me, second party actually, not third. I make'm they sell'em, no middle men, no manufacturer before me. I have since turned down the volume a bit to enjoy life and no longer wholesale.

You can use Neat's Foot Oil or Lexol sparingly. I would suggest rubbing a little of the conditioner into your hand, then rubbing the strop. This way you get a very fine, even application that can be added to gradually by repeating the process. Putting it directly onto the strop can result in too heavy a coating. I also only suggest this once the strop feels really dry, not for a new strop. Just rub them with the hands, nothing more.

Tony

Thanks Tony,

It's always good, or best, to get advice from The Man himself. My strop was very easy to break in, no special treatment needed, and it's only now (after 9+ months of near-daily use) that it shows signs of needing a bit of conditioning.

I've had my red latigo for about a year and a half. I still use my palm and it is just fine. I do rub my temples and forehead when I rub it. I get more natural oils that way.

Good luck!

Steve

I just received a 3" SRD red latigo strop with the webbing. Looks great.

It did not come with directions. Is the latigo good to go after a few dozen passes with my palm, or do I need to do something else? Am I wrong to assume that the webbing needs nothing, not even palm passes?

You bet!

Red Latigo is excellent and really has a lot more draw than many other strops. It is however a leather treated with oils and waxes. They are ready to rock from the start, but really just get better as you continue to rub your palm on them. I like to use a little neatsfoot oil at first and just keep rubbing from there. Once you get past the oils and waxes, you have a great strop that should last you a lifetime.

Lynn

A loss of draw compared to when new has no bearing on it needing conditioning imo. Latigo when it breaks in will lose the heavy surface coating which give heavy draw and you will then be left with a good draw but not so sticky if thats the right way to explain it.
I have a very old Latigo horse tack leather that is now seemingly oil free but supper supple just from massaging and rubbing and use. Draw on this old Latigo is excellent and no way compromised by the lack of conditioning.
Tony's Latigo I bought some time ago is nearing the same stage on its own and I dressed another of his Latigo strops to be the same as my old one with no problem.
Latigo is so heavily oiled and waxed that I can see no point in conditioning the leather unless it is becoming hard/stiff .

PuFF

I don't know about conditioning as I am talking about minimal neatsfoot oil and the main purpose for me is that it helps in rubbing down the layer of oil and waxes a little quicker. What is actually kind of cool is to compare this with the Black and Red Latigo's.

Lynn

Quote:

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Originally Posted by PuFFaH

A loss of draw compared to when new has no bearing on it needing conditioning imo. Latigo when it breaks in will lose the heavy surface coating which give heavy draw and you will then be left with a good draw but not so sticky if thats the right way to explain it.
I have a very old Latigo horse tack leather that is now seemingly oil free but supper supple just from massaging and rubbing and use. Draw on this old Latigo is excellent and no way compromised by the lack of conditioning.
Tony's Latigo I bought some time ago is nearing the same stage on its own and I dressed another of his Latigo strops to be the same as my old one with no problem.
Latigo is so heavily oiled and waxed that I can see no point in conditioning the leather unless it is becoming hard/stiff .

PuFF

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Lynn

I don't know about conditioning as I am talking about minimal neatsfoot oil and the main purpose for me is that it helps in rubbing down the layer of oil and waxes a little quicker. What is actually kind of cool is to compare this with the Black and Red Latigo's.

Lynn

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Are the black and red latigo's different in performance? I thought it was just dyed differently.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by loueedacat

Are the black and red latigo's different in performance? I thought it was just dyed differently.

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Actually, to me the Black is a little stiffer and takes a little longer to break in, but once there, you get that killer Latigo draw. Do get a lot more dye on the palm at first when hand rubbing, but it does stop after a short while.

Lynn