Boars Head Strop

okay in my tour of Antique markets and shops I found a strop and want to know if it is salvageable. I can not remember the brand but it was made in Michigan and the logo on the handle part had a Boars head. The strop was 2 pieces of leather one a little rougher market sharpen and the 2nd smooth piece was marked finish.

Now the strop was as stiff as hell which is my concern and twisted a bit. Edge to edge seemed straight but North South had some bends/waves in it. As it was stiff pulling them out was a bit of an issue. Is it possible to apply some Saddle Soap or the like to it to soften it up a bit? I am sure that would solve the ripples/waves in it. The Strop was brand new just old and looked like someone had it in the bottom of a box for years with junk on top.
She wanted 25.00 for it and I am sure I could get her down to 15 or so for it. For that price I am thinking it makes a great first strop as if I hack it up while learning I am not out much cash

I'd grab it anyway. Rub some neatsfoot oil into it, and place some barbells or the like on top of it for a couple days. See if that irons out some of the wrinkles.

If it's twisted it should be ok. I may second guess if there are a whole bunch of the tight wrinkles in it that occur when leather is folded for a prolonged period of time. But who knows....someone may chime in with a great way to get those out too.

For 20 bucks or so, you can't really go wrong.

The main characteristic you need in a strop is absolute smoothness and suppleness. If the strop is like cardboard it might be possible to condition it with oil or conditioner. As long as the surface is intact with no cuts or areas that are really abraded You have nothing to loose. If it is twisted and has ripples in it thats another story. The old hanging with weights or putting it between stacks of books or weights or using a rolling pin are possibilities. If all else fails and there are creases or heavy wrinkles in it you can use the nuclear option, soaking in water and letting it slowly air dry however that's a last ditch effort before the trash can.

Sometimes these old strops are just dried out and there is little you can do.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The main characteristic you need in a strop is absolute smoothness and suppleness. If the strop is like cardboard it might be possible to condition it with oil or conditioner. As long as the surface is intact with no cuts or areas that are really abraded You have nothing to loose. If it is twisted and has ripples in it thats another story. The old hanging with weights or putting it between stacks of books or weights or using a rolling pin are possibilities. If all else fails and there are creases or heavy wrinkles in it you can use the nuclear option, soaking in water and letting it slowly air dry however that's a last ditch effort before the trash can.

Sometimes these old strops are just dried out and there is little you can do.

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Interesting, great information. Thanks!