Thread: strop issues

Hey folks, couple of things.
first, as my username implies, i'm new to this...getting better though, so i do have a couple of nicks in it...wondering what peoples thoughts are on cleaning them up...i do feel them as i strop. Second...i seem to have some "sticky" spots where the draw is heavier than other parts of the stop. Any thing to combat this, besides the palm rubbing? is it just part of breaking it in? i'm still using it as counter top strop to maintain my edge, i don't have the confidence yet to hang it and do it like a pro for fear of wrecking my edge.
And one more thing, I test the razor after stropping on some arm hair and it isn't cutting like it did when i first got it, but I haven't noted any noticeable tugging while shaving, any thoughts on this?
thanks for the help!

Hey noobs what type is the strop
You can sand the nicks out with fine sand paper plenty threads I think on this
With my strop I have used a bit of shave lather then rub with a bottle to break it in and soften it all up
I also have also used vitamin E Nivea cream rubbed into my hands until no greasy feeling then rubbed my strop to even up the dry spots after sanding my nicks also

It is the 2 strap strop from whipped dog, leather/ poly. Wanted that slightly wider strop than the poor man, but wanted to experiment with the poly eventually as well.
I remember reading about the sand paper...are we talking like 400grit and up? as well as the shave lather i've seen...still not brave enough. lol. what about another round of neatsfoot, but i've heard that has ruined strops more than the nicks have.

Neatsfoot has nothing to do with nicks. You need to sand them out either with fine sandpaper or a pumice stone. if you can feel them while stropping that's not good for the razor.

if the leather begins to dry then you use the neatsfoot but you use it very sparingly. Too much of any good thing is bad.

I would stay away from the neatsfoot oil for now - easy to apply, hard to get off. If you eventually do have a need to apply it, apply it from the back, sparingly. It will take a while to migrate through the leather, so don't expect results the same week!

The sticky spots are probably where the oil is coming out of the strop more. Try wetting an old t-shirt or similar and wringing it well out, then really working it over the surface of the strop. It should not saturate the strop, nor should it come anywhere near to making it wet, it is just to absorb any stropping residue and force the sticky patches to be smoothed out and re-applied more evenly.

Buff up with a dry towel (lint free) to get rid of any lingering wet spots.

As for where you have caught the strop, you can try burnishing it with a bottle with or without lather, but the passage of steel over the burnished areas will probably raise them again. What you are feeling is the raised edge of the nick. Flaps can be stuck down, nicks can be trimmed with a very sharp blade or bare razor blade - anything below the surface of the strop will not affect what is gliding over the top of it, providing they are small nicks and well separated.

If you have to sand then consider a broken in diamond plate of 600 grit or over. Whatever you do, do not use sandpaper - it will drop grit and work it into the leather. Instead use wet and dry paper that has been well used, so that there is no chance of it dropping any grit.

Regards,
Neil

Hey noobs- Neil Miller knows a thing or two about strops.

noobs,

Heavy buffing with a microfibre cloth may help. (it did with some of my 'oilier' strops)

Have fun

Best regards

Russ

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

I would stay away from the neatsfoot oil for now - easy to apply, hard to get off. If you eventually do have a need to apply it, apply it from the back, sparingly. It will take a while to migrate through the leather, so don't expect results the same week!

The sticky spots are probably where the oil is coming out of the strop more. Try wetting an old t-shirt or similar and wringing it well out, then really working it over the surface of the strop. It should not saturate the strop, nor should it come anywhere near to making it wet, it is just to absorb any stropping residue and force the sticky patches to be smoothed out and re-applied more evenly.

Buff up with a dry towel (lint free) to get rid of any lingering wet spots.

As for where you have caught the strop, you can try burnishing it with a bottle with or without lather, but the passage of steel over the burnished areas will probably raise them again. What you are feeling is the raised edge of the nick. Flaps can be stuck down, nicks can be trimmed with a very sharp blade or bare razor blade - anything below the surface of the strop will not affect what is gliding over the top of it, providing they are small nicks and well separated.

If you have to sand then consider a broken in diamond plate of 600 grit or over. Whatever you do, do not use sandpaper - it will drop grit and work it into the leather. Instead use wet and dry paper that has been well used, so that there is no chance of it dropping any grit.

Regards,
Neil

I have always wanted to say this about people sanding their strops but felt like I'd probably get flamed. I'm glad that it's finally out there and from someone who people trust!