Removing and re-applying paste

Hi folks,

I'm happy with how to paste a strop and I've read a fair few posts with different methods of removing paste from the canvas side of a strop, such as soap and water and scraping with a metal ruler. I also saw a post about applying CrOx on top of red paste, so I`m happy with the concepts. I just would like a few handy hints...! :)

The canvas side of my strop has the white chalk paste on it and its starting to look decidedly grey with swarf after six months of daily use! There are also a few areas where the paste seems to have dried onto the material and then flaked off a bit.

I'm not massively concerned about this, because the strop seems to be holding my edges pretty well, but I know a time will come when I have to remove/ re-apply some white paste.

What I want to know is how often do you guys re-apply paste to your strops? I've been using this one daily for six or seven months now. Also, do you remove the old paste before you put on the new stuff? If so, how do you get the old paste off? Is it the soap/water/ruler method mentioned above? Or do you just put the new stuff straight over the old?

Thanks!

Stuart

The white Chalk pastes come off fairly easily...

I take the strop apart, lay the linen on a flat surface and use a brand new very stiff nylon scrub brush like what the wife would use on the floor (before the advent of a swiffer :)) and rub it raw using the brush dry... This takes off 90% of the old paste and the metal... You can continue from here with soap and water, I don't, but you can, it depends on how clean you want it...

When I was experimenting with the White TI paste, it gathered swarf very quickly and turned dark.

I used a stiff scrub brush and just a little laundry detergent and it cleaned it perfectly white again. I then rinse in cold water and keep the razor laid out on a flat surface on a towel to dry. Once perfectly dry, I then reapply whatever paste I want to use.

Lynn

Hi Glen, Lynn,

Thanks very much for the advice, I really appreciate it!

And now I have a good excuse to play with paste this weekend...! :D

Best,

Stuart