Thread: Finishing the Edge

I picked up a very nice buffalo strop of of ebay. I love the draw and the strop itself. My question is this. It does not look like the edge of the leather on the strop has been "finished". There are bit of fuzz along it if that makes sense. I thought I had read somewhere about using saliva and a wooden spoon on the edge to finish it but Im not positive. Any suggestions?

Approach it slowly

It is easier to do more then undo too much

I always start with just lather and hand rubbing I use either MWF or plain ole Williams lather on my strops apply let it dry then rub it off try it and repeat if needed

Add a Glass Bottle to Bunish if needed
Add Saddle soap
Add Neetsfoot oil


Just step by slow step until it is where you want it

You are talking about the very edge, right? If so, it needs burnishing. You can do this with a bit of timber/bone/plastic, with a groove made in it like a 'v' pulley has got. Make it as smooth as you can.

You can get away smearing the edge with beeswax , holding the strop sideways with the edge up, well supported, and run your shaper up and down this small length fasr. This will give a bit of shape and make the fuzzy bits lie flat.

you get a better looking edge using gum tragacanth instead of the wax - it is water soluble, too.

An alternative answer is to get a really stout, really sharp knife, a metal straight edge, and carefully slice each edge to get rid of the straggly look. Beware that this method has the most potential for damage, as the straight edge can move and you then slice a bit into the widty.

I suppose you could use saliva, you could gob in a pot to store up enough. Doesn't sound very salubrious, though...

Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

You are talking about the very edge, right? If so, it needs burnishing. You can do this with a bit of timber/bone/plastic, with a groove made in it like a 'v' pulley has got. Make it as smooth as you can. You can get away smearing the edge with beeswax , holding the strop sideways with the edge up, well supported, and run your shaper up and down this small length fasr. This will give a bit of shape and make the fuzzy bits lie flat.you get a better looking edge using gum tragacanth instead of the wax - it is water soluble, too.An alternative answer is to get a really stout, really sharp knife, a metal straight edge, and carefully slice each edge to get rid of the straggly look. Beware that this method has the most potential for damage, as the straight edge can move and you then slice a bit into the widty.I suppose you could use saliva, you could gob in a pot to store up enough. Doesn't sound very salubrious, though...Regards,Neil

Neil thank you very much! This is exactly what I meant- the very edge & I was thinking it needed burnishing/finishing of some kind & you told me exactly how to do this. I really appreciate it! I very much like the strop itself but this was bothering me and I felt for it to be finished properly this needed to be done.gssixgun I thank you as well. I wasnt specific enough in my description as I did mean the very edge, not the strop surface itself. I tried to upload a pic but I could not do so. That would have shown exactly what I meant.

No prob Neil figured out so all is good

Neils spit is the 3 in 1 oil of the United Kingdom
Har!!!

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

You are talking about the very edge, right? If so, it needs burnishing. You can do this with a bit of timber/bone/plastic, with a groove made in it like a 'v' pulley has got. Make it as smooth as you can.

You can get away smearing the edge with beeswax , holding the strop sideways with the edge up, well supported, and run your shaper up and down this small length fasr. This will give a bit of shape and make the fuzzy bits lie flat.

you get a better looking edge using gum tragacanth instead of the wax - it is water soluble, too.

An alternative answer is to get a really stout, really sharp knife, a metal straight edge, and carefully slice each edge to get rid of the straggly look. Beware that this method has the most potential for damage, as the straight edge can move and you then slice a bit into the widty.

I suppose you could use saliva, you could gob in a pot to store up enough. Doesn't sound very salubrious, though...

Regards,
Neil

Oh! I shall never look at my Neil Miller strop quite the same as before!

Originally Posted by Tarkus

Neils spit is the 3 in 1 oil of the United Kingdom
Har!!!

Yep, Darl - slippery as goat snot....

Regards,
Neil

You can buy and edge dressing, it looks, smells and feels like Hide Glue, to me. Tandy sells it, as well as a burnishing wheel, that looks like a small nylon pulley.

Brush some dressing on the edge and rub the wheel to lay down the fibers and shape the edge. It will leave the edge a bit darker and smooth.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

You can buy and edge dressing, it looks, smells and feels like Hide Glue, to me. Tandy sells it, as well as a burnishing wheel, that looks like a small nylon pulley.

Brush some dressing on the edge and rub the wheel to lay down the fibers and shape the edge. It will leave the edge a bit darker and smooth.

Well now.....THAT's no fun! Just be certain that treatment does not make the edge hard and raised! Just a thought. It would be nice for belts, saddles, and such. Might effect a strop?