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I would like to get some advice regarding an old strop I have. It's made of plain leather, not latigo, and is in good shape except that its surface has been worn so smooth that it has no drag, it's slick -- its almost as if the surface has been waxed or has glazed over. Is there a recommended way to re-establish a suitable surface? Thanks for any help.
You could try brushing the surface with an old toothbrush to clean it up a bit.
If that doesnt work, you could try cleaning it with warm mildly soapy water to remove any grime or excess strop dressing that has been applied.
Then thouroughly dry it out by letting it hang (or laying it flat somewhere) for a good 24-48 hours before treating it with a small amount of strop dressing or by giving it a good rubbing with your hand to transfer some of the oil from your skin across to the strop.
Good luck!
If it is really dirty you can clean it with saddle soap, leave it to dry (don't force dry it - just hang it up somewhere at ambient temperature with a light weight on the end, or wrap it in an old dry towel) then test it.
Usually it will need some neatsfoot oil or similar rubbed into it after this sort of treatment. If you dont saddle-soap it, just rub in neatsfoot oil with plenty of clean rag, as it will remove a lot of residue on its own.
Don't go overboard on the oil - the strop wants an even but very light coverage, so rub it in with rag. Covering with too much oil will increase the draw so much that the strop will become almost unusable, then you will definitely have to saddle-soap it and start from scratch!
Regards,
Neil.
PS: don't judge the draw of the newly-oiled strop right away - the oil tends to sink into the leather. Try it out, then put it away and try it again the next day.
What Neil said!
He knows WAAAAY more than me about this topic, so I bow to the knowledge..! :bow
IME Neatsfoot oil will definitely increase the draw on a strop. Like Neil said, a little goes a long way. When applying it to leather I put it on a soft cloth or a sponge and spread it as evenly as I can rather than applying it directly to the leather. I find it easier to control that way.
Some old strops, I.E. Dubl Duck Cordovan Scotch Shell seem to have a protective coating over the leather, like some kind of polyurethene. I don't know what it is, but I know it was there from the get go, not from wear. Is this what you mean? My DD has 0 draw too.
Here are some pics. I've seen worn strops before, many times, and this one doesn't fit the bill, but someone correct me if I'm wrong. Does anyone have one of these DD Strops with an almost like glass consistency to it.
The other strop is also restored vintage. I've lightly sanded it, and applied a few coats of neetsfoot oil. It has excellent drag...
I've never oiled my strops (except with the palm of my hand) so am curious about this increasing the draw. What exactly is the problem with it?
The surface of the strop is slick. There is absolutely no resistence to the blade. It's almost like stropping on glass, unlike when stropping on most strops with which you feel a small bit of resistence as you pull the razor along the leather.Quote:
Originally Posted by Frankenstein
Quote:
Originally Posted by zib
I just assumed the slick, glass-like surface was due to the strop being old and very well used, but perhaps it did have some kind of coating on it from the beginning.
I think I'll try your approach and sand it lightly, followed by neatsfoot oil.
Thanks
Thanks to all you folks who took the time to give input. This forum really is a terrific resource, but only because of the terrific people who make it up! Thanks again!
That's why I posted the Pic. I would love to hear from Jimmy or Tony Miller or somone that know's about these vintage ducks. Mine feels like glass, just as you described yours. You don't want to go too far. Think of it like your removing the clear coat from your car without hitting the paint.Quote:
Originally Posted by sffone
After your done, and you apply the Neetsfoot oil, allow it to penetrate overnight before you do a second coat. It may take a week of applying and drying....
I'm a palm of the hand man too. I have a couple of vintage shell dubl duck strops as well as other brands of horse strops. They are by nature a light draw. That seems to have been the default material for the strops back in the golden days of barber shop shaving.Quote:
Originally Posted by Frankenstein
I remember old Frank Natale (at age 70 barbering 50 years) had a dubl duck strop hanging on his chair that was black from age and use. It felt hard as a rock to the touch but that was what he stropped with every day.
The best tip I can give is what I did to return a strop I had to it former glory and it came by out of kill or cure!
If you have a sander either orbital or belt then use a grit of 80 first and go all over it in all directions then move to a 100 and repeat and final polish off with 120 it creates the most excellent surface with super fine draw!
Wacky I know but it really worked well and now that strop can put an edge so perfectly on any razor.