Thread: illinois 127 strop, linen side

hi everyone first post. My first strop was a 2 in latigo with polly webbing. Well it got cut up. I then heard about the illionois so i bought a 127. I thought i read in one of the post about washing the linen with dawn to soften it up, but couldnt find it. Its really stiff. Has anyone heard of this or how to soften it up? thanks in Advance. I still have and bought a replacement latigo strip. Dont really know which i like best or to invest in another strop from srd.

Dazed,
The Illinois Strop No. 127 is a good strop for the money. The linen component is stiff, but in time it will soften up a wee bit. I would leave it alone and let time take care of it. I have had the 127, 361 and several other models through the years and liked them.

I have not heard about washing it with Dawn but even if it is stiff it is useable as is. With time it will loosen up but it will work fine as is. The new canvas is definitely more stiff than the poly webbing so it will feel different but will function as is.

Thanks for the response, i like the illinois better than my latigo, seems like too much draw on the latigo and my illinois is a bit wider. Ill just let time take its course on the linen side.

I have and use the same strop almost daily. It works very well for me. Leave the linen alone and just let it break in. Keep the leather moisturized with natural oil from your palm. That's all you need to do.