Thread: 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?

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.

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.

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

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

Originally Posted by 32t

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

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.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

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

Har har.

Now THAT makes perfect sense, Spendur!

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