Thread: How to dress my strop

Hey guys,

Question, how would i go about dressing my strop, i have a German Dovo Feinstes Kern-Juchten strop, and i bought Fromm strop dressing, i looked at the wiki article here on the forum, and it confused me because i don't have a dry strop dressing. What are your suggestions? Thank you very much.

-Josh

I dress mine in high heels, a wig and makeup. But thats just me.

Once in a while it may be good to use some Neatsfoot oil to replace any natural oils lost and to keep the strop limber and the leather supple. BTW are there no instructions on the strop dressing you have?

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

I dress mine in high heels, a wig and makeup. But thats just me.

I almost went there myself, but changed my mind last minute....

Originally Posted by zib

I almost went there myself, but changed my mind last minute....

It was too much to resist.... somebody had to say it!

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

It was too much to resist.... somebody had to say it!

Yea but it should have been me.

Most quality strops don't really need much. Like has been said either oil from your hand or some specialty oil or quality leather conditioner. Some strops specifically say not to use anything.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Yea but it should have been me.

Yes, it should have, my apologies! LOL

Congratulations! I just coughed my soda out my nose!

As to the strop TREATMENTS, when I bought my initial straight razor set up, the owner of the sharpening store told me when maintained the strop will darken and become slick looking. He said to used Fromm Strop Dressing every week or so. I used a cloth cut from an old t-shirt- rather than a super absorbent towel because I do not like the smell or feel and it seems a pain to wash off. The product reminds me of lanolin.

I know an old timer from farming country that used olive oil...whatever, it looked like it was working... the strop looked like mine except it was 90 years old.

Last, in L. Sherman Trusty's "Barber Science In A Nutshell" , he tells how to break and maintain a strop using lather. Breaking in; Pile lather on leather thats resting on a hard level surface, and rub a bottle back and forth vigorously. Repeat. Pile lather on overnight. Maintaining he says to pile thick lather on at the end of every day.

I have noticed the strop is much more effective when it looks moist and shiny becoming less so as it dries out.

How everyone maintains the canvas side is a bigger mystery to me.

Nick/Las Vegas

[QUOTE=nun2sharp;722911]I dress mine in high heels, a wig and makeup. But thats just me.

Not that there's anything wrong with that . . . . . .

What a great thread: helpful info and outrageous humor, all rolled up in one!

As someone who understands something about making leather from the skins of animals, I primarily use NFO and sometimes tallow (venison, the same as i use in my soap) on my very old strop. I have a jar of "strop dressing" but it appears to be nothing special-something like sno-seal.

NFO is handy for the strop, oiling the blades, and lubricating patches for my rifle. get the 100%.