Thread: Rubbing lather on strop for maintenance - good or bad?

We just had a member asking how to remove the soap he put into his strop a while ago. Seems it caused more harm than good. I always advise against this. If you want more draw, buy a latigo strop. As previoulsy mentioned, Today's soaps are quite different than the one's manufactured when "old" barber's manuals were written.
Saddle soap can be use to clean old vintage dirty strops, once dry, they can be re treated with neetsfoot, but the draw will never be the same.
If you really have to rub something on your strop, get some leather conditioner. At least it's made for that....

I have strops that are quite old, and only get an oily hand rub down, they look and work great. Use this method, and your patience will be rewareded. I always advise against rubbing soap or lather into any fine leather and leaving it there. It just don't go. My two cents...

I've always had a problem with this. There are many things you can do to condition your strop and to me adding chemicals found in today's soaps or water when you use saddle soap never struck me as something I wanted to do to my strops. I've always used either neatsfoot oil or some Bick conditioner and my strops are in tip top shape. I would use oil from your hand however I live in single digit humidity plus as you age the oils in your skin depart.

I've had fine results with using lather to increase draw. The soap I shave with is Cade, and it has worked better and far more quickly for me than neatsfoot oil. I just lather the strop up, let it sit overnight, and wipe off the residue. The only issue I have with it is that the soap residue will tend to build up on the blade while stropping. That goes away with use, requires the blade be wiped sometimes, but wiping blades is something I do all the time anyway.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

plus as you age the oils in your skin depart.

Then just rub in some neatsfoot oil.

I swear I am going to make that my new Sig Line

You know guys I hate to say this but I was wrong it doesn't work pretty darn good it worked GREAT !!!

Last time I tried this it was on a good strop and it worked OK but no better than anything else...

I have been working on reconditioning a Illinois #827 for a few months, not seriously, just kinda messing with a problem strop... I bought it at least a year ago and pasted it for CeOx use, but this strop always had a rough spot in the middle... I used it for a few months and finally pulled it out of rotation and bought another...

It was my idea that I was going to see if I could "De-Paste it.. well with some sanding and some saddle soap I did that, but it still had the rough middle portion... I tried Neets Foot, I tried Dovo, I tried Fromm, Saddle Soap, Bick, Goop, every conditioner I had, none had worked to get a smooth draw on this strop... I re-sanded twice but no luck.

So this thread popped up and I said Hmmmmm I didn't try that

So yesterday before work I lathered it with Williams and left it to dry.. I got home last night And rubbed it in.. I stropped a razor for about 10 laps and was pleasantly surprised... Re-lathered it and repeated.. This morning after rubbing in the lather really well with a Heel Palm so it got actually hot... Stropped a full 100 laps to a nice even draw...

So yeah it works...but hey don't take my word for it, go try it yourself


PS: I have no clue how it will work out in the long long run, and no doubt will probably end up PIF'n the strop so that part is and will be in question...

Just to be clear, like it or not, IT WORKS! Also, it has nothing to do with treating the strop. NOTHING. Let me say that one more time. It has nothing to do with treating the strop. Its used to make the strop work BETTER! Not just to produce draw, like draw is some subjective thing, like pretty razors. It's done to improve the performance of the strop. That way you don't have to do so many laps when stropping. It takes a few try's because you have to deeply impregnate the leather. Tallow? Don't need no stinking tallow. This is mistreating the leather so it'll do our bidding. This is the big difference between honing intervals.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Just to be clear, like it or not, IT WORKS! Also, it has nothing to do with treating the strop. NOTHING. Let me say that one more time. It has nothing to do with treating the strop. Its used to make the strop work BETTER! Not just to produce draw, like draw is some subjective thing, like pretty razors. It's done to improve the performance of the strop. That way you don't have to do so many laps when stropping. It takes a few try's because you have to deeply impregnate the leather. Tallow? Don't need no stinking tallow. This is mistreating the leather so it'll do our bidding. This is the big difference between honing intervals.

That's exactly it. Just because something has a beneficial effect doesn't mean it's good for you or whatever you use it for. It's two entirely different things. You can over clock your computer processor and it might run like a champ but down the road it may not last very long. Now I'm not saying lather will damage your strop. However, for me I'll skip it.

I started with an SRD Paddle with the premium leather. It seemed slick to me with very little draw. I bought some Neatsfoot oil, used it, and it made no difference and might have slicked it up even more. Somebody on here mentioned lather, so I tried it. I slopped up the strop, left it overnight, wiped the residue off the next morning, and I had a gigantic increase in draw. I like lots of draw. It allows me to use less pressure and let the strop do the work. Recently I bought the SRD Bridle leather for my paddle and lathered it up after the first, unimpressive, session. It was a draw machine! I don't know how it works or what it will eventually do to the strop, and I don't really care. What I care about is results. If the strop dies a nasty death, I will buy another one and lather that one up too.

As long as you're making decisions based on the concept that is the most important to you. And as you say Nelson, no proof that it hurts the strop. Life is full of things that don't feel good, when done right.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

As long as you're making decisions based on the concept that is the most important to you. And as you say Nelson, no proof that it hurts the strop. Life is full of things that don't feel good, when done right.

I'll remember that my next digital exam at the Urologist. Har har.