Thread: Any Info On This: "The Griffon Strop Aide" ??? See Pictures:

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Right again, Mike! I loaded it good last night and this morning it is almost white again!
I suppose as the oxidation takes hold, the process moves faster?

Yeah...it takes hold, or just gets more and more embedded in the strop, and the strop gets slicker and smoother. I don't know what type of cloth materiel your strop is made from (the one I use is an old linen strop), but I don't think it really matters... it will just keep getting softer and softer.

And the leather strop I use...an older cowhide Illinois #127 which is not what I would call a great strop...is now really slick and soft and has a real nice rather quick draw to it.

I've been toying with the idea of turning one of my Lipshaw strops into a 'leaded strop'... I think it would be great!

Mikey Likes It!

Originally Posted by Wolfpack34

Yeah...it takes hold, or just gets more and more embedded in the strop, and the strop gets slicker and smoother. I don't know what type of cloth materiel your strop is made from (the one I use is an old linen strop), but I don't think it really matters... it will just keep getting softer and softer.

And the leather strop I use...an older cowhide Illinois #127 which is not what I would call a great strop...is now really slick and soft and has a real nice rather quick draw to it.

I've been toying with the idea of turning one of my Lipshaw strops into a 'leaded strop'... I think it would be great!

Mikey Likes It!

I've got an old Illinois 827 with the rock hard linen backing, wonder if I should hit the leather side...that strop is a monster. Two questions, would it harm the leather or finally soften it up again? And two, that hard treated linen on the back, should I use the lead on that as well or would it break it up? Thanks.

Originally Posted by Phrank

I've got an old Illinois 827 with the rock hard linen backing, wonder if I should hit the leather side...that strop is a monster. Two questions, would it harm the leather or finally soften it up again? And two, that hard treated linen on the back, should I use the lead on that as well or would it break it up? Thanks.

After I watched how much the lead softened up an old linen attached to a very heavy drawing Russian leather strop, I figured that it had to help ease the draw on that rough old leather. So, after about a week's worth of applications it did!!

Originally Posted by Phrank

I've got an old Illinois 827 with the rock hard linen backing, wonder if I should hit the leather side...that strop is a monster. Two questions, would it harm the leather or finally soften it up again? And two, that hard treated linen on the back, should I use the lead on that as well or would it break it up? Thanks.

Originally Posted by furious

After I watched how much the lead softened up an old linen attached to a very heavy drawing Russian leather strop, I figured that it had to help ease the draw on that rough old leather. So, after about a week's worth of applications it did!!

Andrew...Furious is right...I know it will soften up the and smooth out the draw on the leather. I never used to use the #127, having so many better strops, but now that it is 'leaded up' I use it every shave before regular stropping and it has a real nice beautiful draw to it.

The 827 is like the 127 I believe but I'm not to sure about the 'linen strop' that comes with it. I'm sure it's not linen (the 127 is canvas) but what materiel is it made with? Perhaps it needs to be softened first? I cleaned and softened the #127 linen strop and it is a great strop now ( not treated with the lead).



The #127 is all the way to the left in the picture...

My "leaded Linen" strop is all the way to the right of the picture. Notice how white it is after 2 years of leading!!!!!

Just finished doing only 20 linen and 20 leather on the lead treated Sharpton Strop with a Palmera #14 for tomorrows shave.

Followed by 80 laps on that beautiful new Tony Miller strop - sheesh that is a beautifully made strop, it's making my Kanayama blush.....

I tried this out yesterday for today's shave and I have to say that I was quite impressed how well it worked.

I had an old chunk of babbitt that I used which is a mix of lead, tin and antimony and I would say that it improved my level of honing up another notch.

Originally Posted by 4freek

I tried this out yesterday for today's shave and I have to say that I was quite impressed how well it worked.

I had an old chunk of babbitt that I used which is a mix of lead, tin and antimony and I would say that it improved my level of honing up another notch.

Thanks for posting 4Freek...the more you use it the better it gets. Keep us updated...

Well I just found this thread today. Found it VERY interesting & decided to try lead on a strop myself. The only strop I had with nothing on it that I didn't mind experimenting on was one side of my new to me Edmond Roffler paddle strop. Didn't have any lead I could think of & there I was sitting & looking at a roll of 60/40 solder. I wound it into a spiral & used some hot glue to hold it together. I had a small piece of a junk oil stone that I glued on to use as a handle. It worked great & I got the strop coated with the solder pretty quick. I took a August Kern "Blue steel" 5/8" that I had just finished on by baby Coti hone so I did 20 rounds on my leaded Roffler strop then 50 rounds on the uncoated side & WOW is that thing smooth! Next I will take it to my Koken horse hide strop for 100 rounds & see what I have. Let you know tomorrow!

Slawman!

So far so good That August Kern turned into a new blade after I finished it off on my Koken strop. Very smooth shave. Think I will work on my Dubl Duck "Satin Wedge". This razor has always been sharp but about as smooth as 40 grit sandpaper. Gonna go slow & easy with this one. Great looking near wedge with non gassing clear scales.Want to put it into my top three!

Slawman

I was going to mention Babbitt myself. There are several grades of babbitt with the amount of tin usually being the difference. Back when I was rebuilding Little Giant power hammers I poured lot's of babbitt. Wish I still had some.

Slawman