NOS strops with wax-saturated fabric

I recently bought some NOS vintage strops. I am fairly certain they were salesman's samples.
Nice strops, obviously unused and stored decently.

However, on a few, the fabric component was strange. very stiff and seemingly saturated with wax. You could bend the strop and it would stay bent! I had never seen this before, did not like stropping on them either.

I decided to attempt to remove it so I took the fabric off this PJM Merit and rolled it into a saucepan with water which I brought to a boil. The wax would melt and come to the top so I began trying to skim it off. I was making such a mess, I took it from the pot and laid it flat and scraped it with a spatula. LOTS of wax was coming off that way.

Changed the water and repeated several times and finally got the bulk of it out, about a half-cup, in my estimate.

Now, it looks and feels right. Has anyone seen this? :shrug:

Attachment 219073Attachment 219074

I've got a few strops like that. I figured the makers knew what they were doing so I left them as is/was. It IS really weird to strop on a surface like that, but it does not seem to do any harm.

I figured it would do no harm, yet was like stropping on a fence-board. :rofl2:

Another few have something about being 'damp-proof' on them. Some sort of gimmick, I suppose?

Congratulations. You made a very nice find.

Maybe the wax is supposed to keep it from fraying so bad if it gets nicked with the razor. I have another theory that the wax canvas (if it is waxed canvas) was suppose to be a tow strap or something and someone used it to make a strop. lol

How does age effect wax? I wonder if they were not more flexible when they were new. :shrug:

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Originally Posted by AlienEdge

Maybe the wax is supposed to keep it from fraying so bad if it gets nicked with the razor. I have another theory that the wax canvas (if it is waxed canvas) was suppose to be a tow strap or something and someone used it to make a strop. lol

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Ha! I don't know, but the thought of a wick for a really big candle or lamp crossed my mind! :rofl2:

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Originally Posted by 32t

How does age effect wax? I wonder if they were not more flexible when they were new. :shrug:

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It was quite lumpy and uneven. Perhaps it had been in a hot storage for a long while?
Really smooth now!

I will be doing another one and shall take some pics!

Those weren't made for razor use. They were made for administering corporal punishment.

Har har.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Those weren't made for razor use. They were made for administering corporal punishment.

Har har.

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Now THAT makes perfect sense, Spendur! :whipped:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...do-i-do-6.html

My first Hoffritz strop was like that in 1980 or so. the razor just zipped down it (and it was only about 14"). Finally cut the leather so badly that I threw it away, when I found SRP.

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Originally Posted by 32t

http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...do-i-do-6.html

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I would probably just keep staring at if for a while :rofl2:

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

Has anyone seen this? :shrug:

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Only in Texas ............ :rolleyes:

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Only in Texas ............ :rolleyes:

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HEY! I resemble that remark!

Big thanks to 32t for that thread! Boy, THAT one got off-topic, eh?
So wax was added as an advantage! Glad I got the most of it off, however. No Like!
Still some there, it can be seen and felt. Hopefully it is just right now! :tu

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

HEY! I resemble that remark!

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Kidding aside, I was watching Antiques Roadshow one night and a guy brought a strop over to the expert.

The expert said the strop was very rare and sought after by collectors. Originally came with a wax treated linen, and worth maybe $10,000 at auction. But since somebody had boiled the linen, removed the wax, it was only worth $3.98 ........ :rofl2:

Nice! :rofl2: :mexwave: :roflmao :tu

Love this place. I could spends hours and hours reading about stuff like this!

Very nice find!! Nothing like vintage NOS leather and linen!

Here is another I have done, with pictures. Similar to the strop in the OP, this one is a PJM CMon.
The wax was dirty and cracking on the surface of the fabric.

Attachment 220689

So I put it on to boil, skimming the wax off the top as best I could. Let it boil for 20 minutes and took it out and scraped the wax off with a spatula. Changed the water and repeated 3 times. The last time, I tossed some bleach and Oxyclean in, just for fun. :D

Attachment 220690

While the fabric was boiling, I treated the leather with Bick leather conditioner and did a lot of hand-rubbing on it.
Got a LOT of wax off!

Attachment 220691

Turned out quite nice. I lost the Logo, but since it had been applied over the wax, I was fine with that. Still some wax in it, but at least it strops nicely and looks a ton better.
(Before and after)

Attachment 220692Attachment 220693

Got it back together and clothed it with a Razorfeld strop cover. Nice! :D

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I have another one with the wax, but it is smooth and clean, so I will let it be.

Attachment 220696

Did you maybe think of putting the wax soaked strop on a pile of newspaper, cover it with a cloth and start running a hot iron over the surface? That should melt the wax off somewhat and be absorbed by the newspaper.

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Originally Posted by Razorfeld

Did you maybe think of putting the wax soaked strop on a pile of newspaper, cover it with a cloth and start running a hot iron over the surface? That should melt the wax off somewhat and be absorbed by the newspaper.

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Did not think of that, Richard. The wax was grungy anyway.
Besides, I don't have an iron, but a hotplate and a pot, I've got! :rofl2:

Nice looking strop, Tom!

Using an iron and newspaper to get rid of the wax is a good idea, Razorfeld. I have done something similar with candle wax stuck to carpet.

Tom, steal a iron from your wife or go to Goodwill. Low cost there.

Are you telling me you have more strops than socks for them? I better get the sewing machine warmed up.

Did I ever tell you I've got a strop from an extinct barber supply company in NY with my last name on it?

OH! I would love to see that! The 'Razorfeld' Strop! ;)

I'll try to get a pic of it on line soon.

I suppose it has a 'Razorfeld strop cover' of some smashing material?
I am really enjoying mine! :tu

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

I suppose it has a 'Razorfeld strop cover' of some smashing material?
I am really enjoying mine! :tu

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Nope. Just hanging out in the bathroom with the other ones bare-arse necked. (I have what I call hanging bench strops. A piece of pressboard the width of, and about 4" shorter than the strop inserted between the two surfaces and held in place with Velco strips.)

Wad ya expect? Shoemaker's children.

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Originally Posted by Razorfeld

Wad ya expect? Shoemaker's children.

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I can relate. Seems I have taken to drive a cruddy old car these days. The ghetto will deprive you from your nice car! :D

What's your excuse, Richard? Get some clothes on those strops! :rofl2:

A thought crossed my mind as I saw the green/waxed finish on the fabric I shared above.

Anyone think they mixed CroOx with the wax?

Attachment 220711

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

A thought crossed my mind as I saw the green/waxed finish on the fabric I shared above.

Anyone think they mixed CroOx with the wax?

Attachment 220711

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I think that that is a very reasonable line of thought. Although it could just be dye. :shrug:

Strop on it and see what happens.

I suppose if it were, it would get you a "realedge'! ;)

What can I say. I like a little shaving porn in the morning to get the old self moving. Why add a layer, no matter how pretty.

That cleaned up very well!! May have to do some experimentation now.

I have a Realedge Russian leather and linen strop and it is one of my favorites. The linen is white (well, several shades off-white) and the leather is a tough draw as RL often is. The back of the leather has a pebble-textured reddish synthetic sharpening material attached to it. Works fairly well although I have no idea what it is.

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Originally Posted by Razorfeld

What can I say. I like a little shaving porn in the morning to get the old self moving. Why add a layer, no matter how pretty.

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I suppose I am guilty of indulging myself with some 'pretties' . Gotta have SOMETHING! :D