Thread: Pumice stone for resurfacing?

Originally Posted by marosell

JimmyHAD: I've never really felt other strops. Are they all this smooth and shiny? I always imagined them to be.... softer, if that makes sense.

Also, something I'm worried about: If a drop of water makes a spot on the leather swell and be raised, what will putting wet lather on it do?

The new strops I've gotten from SRD or Tony Miller have been soft, smooth and maybe not shiny but not rough either. I've gotten vintage strops that were a bit stiff and I've did the palm of the hand daily for awhile and they got better.

The old barbers used to put lather on them and rub them down with a bottle. I have never tried that and never will but I heard about it and IIRC read it in a barber manual. I know Tony Miller recommends the hand rubbing and if that still leaves the strop too dry a few drops of neatsfoot or something similar.

As far as that raised spot try rolling it out with a bottle on a flat hard surface. If that doesn't work maybe sand or pumice that one spot. That is what I would do anyway, maybe others will have some more experience with that and chime in.

I've made a number of strops and I've made two using the Tandy leather you mentioned. On both of them I ended up using 220 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper (used dry) to get rid of the glassy surface. One I left as it was, the other I put neatsfoot oil on. Both worked well. Perhaps the slick, un-sanded surface would work well enough; because, as has been pointed out, some of the old barber strops were quite hard and slick. I have a couple that are like glass. But I prefer a bit more draw which is why I sand the surface of the strops that I make out of natural leather. The strops I make from latigo work well without any surface treatment.

Originally Posted by sffone

I've made a number of strops and I've made two using the Tandy leather you mentioned. On both of them I ended up using 220 grit wet-or-dry sandpaper (used dry) to get rid of the glassy surface. One I left as it was, the other I put neatsfoot oil on. Both worked well. Perhaps the slick, un-sanded surface would work well enough; because, as has been pointed out, some of the old barber strops were quite hard and slick. I have a couple that are like glass. But I prefer a bit more draw which is why I sand the surface of the strops that I make out of natural leather. The strops I make from latigo work well without any surface treatment.

Some time ago Tony Miller was experimenting with a rough or maybe it was a scuffed surface on the horsehide strops. He carried them as an alternative item for awhile and then discontinued them. Keith from HandAmerican has also sold a two component strop with one smooth side and the other rough. I have one but I'm not that crazy about the rough side.