Thread: Help with linen coating

Here's one thing I tried, as suggested by Bart Torfs a few years ago. It works very nicely, although it has been a while (too long) since I tried:

Originally Posted by Bart Torfs at coticule.be

Sidewalk chalk, aka calcium sulfate, aka plaster of Paris, aka gypsum (it's all the same) works [...], as long as you make sure to use white, non-colored quality. The trick is to paint the strop with lather, and rub it with the chalk until the pores are completely clogged. (work it in with your fingers). Dry with a hairdryer. Make your fingers greasy with strop dressing, or with mineral oil, and massage the surface of the strop. Allow to dry overnight. Brush lightly to remove excess dust. This will give you a great surface to strop on, that behaves the same like a linen strop that was filled with a tube of Dovo white (Dovo white Is to be used abundant, the idea is to clog the pores of the fabric).
Kind regards,

Bart.

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Thanks for the extra info and pictures. I did not know that this Shamrock Brand was a linen strop - I have not seen one photo of the mark with with anything but "Shamrock Brand Fine Weave Silk Finish on it, though I suppose that barbers manuals of the time would serve to identify what Dubl Duck called it.

Attachment 204818

Attachment 204819

The following, along with some of the cotton backed strops I have seen (cannot find a pic) are marked with what they are:

Attachment 204820

Dubl Duck were importers by the way and it is possible that they made nothing at all. But their products were excellent indeed.

What seems clear from this is that we do not have a tubular weave cotton firehose.

The Shamrock brand on the other hand was a firmly established business in Ireland (hence 'shamrock') and they describe this material in one advert as marked and available in 10ft lengths to the public, describing it as 'bleached linen cambric', cambric deriving from the french town where it was originally made in the 1700s. At that time it was made from linen, calendered and glazed, though later on both linen and cotton materials were described as cambric.

Thanks again for correcting me - just goes to show that you learn something everyday and what a fine resource SRP is.

Regards,
Neil

Neil it doesn't state that it is linen but it is exactly the same as a Irish linen that I have except that the Irish linen isn't coated and is white by itself. I assumed and may be wrong that from the colour it was a flax linen that has been coated and impregnated with this dressing and that the dressing itself is what they may be referrinding to as the silk finish. As I said I could be wrong but once the coating of paste is removed it comes up that greeny colour and the weave is revealed

Pithor I have just gotten some tube webbing last week so I might play with this and if all goes well apply to the strop. Cheers

So since I am looking to do this I thought I would do it right anf find a pure powder to apply to the strop. Kremer Pigments has calcium carbonate that is 99.6 percent pure. My question is will the particle size matter as it does with other powders we apply to strops. It is rated at 1.3mic which is still pretty fine bit larger than others I have. Richard I was also thinking that as you said in your post that gum or glue might be a good additive as well to help with adhesion and longevity. Is there anything you would reccomend and any sources for tallow. Cheers for all the help

Originally Posted by eddy79

...snip...Richard I wad also thinking tjst ad you said in your post yhst gum or glue might be a good additive ad well to help with adhesion and longevity. Is there anything you would reccomend and any sources for tallow. Cheers for all the help

I cannot help you there. I used the old time recipe and made a bunch but there were specific quantities. I like Pithor's method. I've known him for a lot of years.
~Richard

So I take it Dovo white paste is essentially chalk and soap? Thats what it feels like when I spread it on the fabric but it also seems to dry well. I really like it for the treatment of my firehose strops. I wish the stuff would come in toothpaste sized tubes. I have to give that recipe Pithor referenced a try it sounds great. I wonder if talc could be substituted for chalk or would that be too abrasive?

True talc is less abrasive than chalk. From memory talc is pretty much the lowest on the mohs scale

FWW
Here is the same material as that which was used in my Pearl Duck Shamrock Silk Finish Strop. No country of origin was on either the leather or fabric. It is much darker green when damp,

I sold that DD strop recently after doing a reclamation of the materials.
~Richard

Richard that looks very sImilar to mine without the paste. Is that after yours was cleaned or was it originally like that. Mine doesn't actually mention a country of origin just brands

Originally Posted by eddy79

Richard that looks very sImilar to mine without the paste. Is that after yours was cleaned or was it originally like that. Mine doesn't actually mention a country of origin just brands

I've had two Shamrock strops and some other branded strops using, essentially, this material and cleaned and re pasted them. A friend has accumulated a lot of older strop materials in rolls and this is one that was very common in high end strops. There are quite a few differing materials that were commonly used.
~Richard