Thread: Can I restore this old strop?

It's kinda rough, and I'm sure I could buy a new one that would work a lot better, but it's the one my uncle had "issued" to him when he started into barber school in 1962.

The main thing with strop useability is the condition of the leather really. It's hard to tell from your pics what kind of condition the entire strop is in, but if there are no big nicks, bad divots etc and the leather still feels reasonably supple (as opposed to hard and cracked), it should be good to go with a clean and an application of some strop conditioner.

The linen I don't know much about, but as it is linen I'd suspect it can be cleaned with some water and maybe a little soap.

So I do think with a little TLC that strop would be well worth restoring. Not just as a strop, but a piece of working family history. And the russian shell strops are beautiful leather, if it's still in OK condition.

James.

Thanks Jimbo!
I want to restore it more as a keepsake, but I might use it a little bit too.
How can I clean it without losing the trademarks?

I'd start mild and with care, and see what happens. So, first I'd take out the chicago screws so you just have the leather and linen pieces, then use just a wet cloth (with maybe some saddle soap) to begin with. See if that does anything.

Only escalate up the scale of cleaning stuff if needed. And take extra care around the writing. Maybe, if you are worried it will rub or wear off, mask out the writing with something like cling film (using something sticky like tape may pull it off when you remove it). Then, after the main parts of the strop are clean you can tackle the more intricate bit around the writing, maybe with cotton swabs or something like that.

This may all be overkill - it could be very robust. But until you know by trying it is best to err on the side of caution IMO.

If the cleaning works, let the bits air dry and then treat the leather with leather conditioner/neatsfoot oil or similar.

Good luck!

James.

Thanks again!
I might try some Murphy's oil soap on a soft cloth.

Nice looking strop!! Hope it comes out well!

Like Jimbo says..... It's better to make repeated light applications and IMHO with a day or night hang time to get results...and repeat as needed until you get the result you want.

Better light and slow than to go over board because it's the devil to undo...too much!



Howard

For the fabric some detergent and a scrub brush and some elbow grease and plenty of hot water is what you need. For the leather I'd get some Bick leather cleaner.

BE CAREFUL! Do NOT go over the stamps with any kind of brush or cleaner... I've wiped off the emblems from a canvas strop in one swipe. There is really not much of anything holding them on.

Originally Posted by TwistedOak

BE CAREFUL! Do NOT go over the stamps with any kind of brush or cleaner... I've wiped off the emblems from a canvas strop in one swipe. There is really not much of anything holding them on.

Is that true for the linen as well as for the leather? (I'm not the OP, but am following with interest.)

usually the leather is embossed but I've never had the makers mark come off the leather. I imagine if you scrubbed hard enough anything will come off. I usually don't worry about the logo on the fabric and yes it will fade if washed.