Thread: moldy strop

Hanging in my bathroom I have three leather strops, one linen strop and one nylon strop converted from the strap off an old gym bag. Of all these I only use the nylon and one of the leather strops. During tonight's shave I looked at two of the strops I don't use and found that they were furry with mold.

The only way I know of to kill mold is with vinega. Is vinegar harmful to leather? Is there any way to save these strops that never get used or should I just stop being a hoarder and throw the old, nicked, rough strops in the bin?

Cheers,
Nathan

I don't think you'd need to soak the entire strop in vinegar for a prolonged time. A couple minute rub down with vinegar would probably be good enough, but I imagine it would dry the leather somewhat. You might want to follow up with a treatment of neatsfoot oil or other strop conditioner to keep the leather supple.

Sounds like you better find a different place to hang your strops !

Never got mold on my strops but have cleaned lots of old army equipment with moldy leather.
Soap n water, easy on the water, just get it moist not soaking, then oil it, gets like new!

It depends on the leather and process used to finish it. Some leathers are highly resistant to mold and similar and some are not. It's not just on the surface. It sends roots down so you can clean it and it comes right back. They have specialized products for that.

Wow, I didn't know leather could mold. How damp does it have to be in there for that to happen?!