Thread: Cleaning old linen?

I just bought two old cotton strops at a local antique mall. Each strop has two pieces of linen.

I plan on pasting them and wonder if I should clean them first and if so, how.

Also, one set is being held together with a safety pin. No brass or steel clamp (clip, head or whatever it's called). If anyone has an extra clamp, please pm me with a price. It is a 2 1/2" Liberty Silk Finish #21.

The other is a Liberty on one side and a Beau Brummel on the other.

Thanks,

Kev

please look at this thread

http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...xer-upper.html

this is what i did

Just use a dishwashing soap and water and hand wash them. Allow them to air dry until they are completely dry then you can do whatever you want with them. You'll be surprised how much junk comes out of the linen:-)

Originally Posted by jballs918

please look at this thread

http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...xer-upper.html

this is what i did

I asked a question on the other thread, but what the heck, I'll ask here, also.

Did you use a soft brush or cloth to scrub or clean the strop, or just let it soak?

Thanks,

Kevin

It did take a little longer but I used a soft toothbrush on both sides after hand washing. There is no reason not to use a larger soft brush though.

Here is an old thread that shows how I did my vintage linens that needed some TLC.

I was paranoid about soaking mine so I just laid them out on a table and scrubbed them with a damp washcloth. It didn't make them perfect but it was good enough to get off a few decades' worth of accumulated crud.