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I recently got my great grandfathers old razor strop fron a relative. It is in qute good condition but it needs some cleaning. I wonder what you guys recomend. My plan is to clean it thoroughly with sadelsope, get rid of some nics and rough spots with a sandpaper (about 1000 grit?) and later finish off with some neatsfoot oil. If i missed something please let me know.
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Sounds good to me. Nice gift. Enjoy and cherish.
Very cool. Please post pics when you get it all cleaned up and ready for use.
I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong, but sandpaper will remove the top grain and I'd only use that as a last resort option. Great to have a genuine heirloom for a strop.
Same here, do everything but the sandpaper and see how it is first
Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyHAD
You can try this technique:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxpL...nel=BillMorris
What condition is the leather, hard, stiff, soft, and flexible?
Do you know how, (folded, flat, hanging) and where it has been stored?
Yes, do not sand it, unless you absolutely need to and I don’t see where you do.
You should remove it from the holder and rehydrate it before you even clean it, if it is stiff.
Rehydrating the leather may get rid of some of the nicks and scratches or at least make them a non-issue.
Restoring leather is a slow process, taking short cut can ruin the leather.
It is not stiff, feels good. It have been hanging in a dry (but cold in the winter) room. I dont think it needs to be rehydrated, but for the record, how is that done? :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Euclid440
Oh, it needs to be re-hydrated, it is just a matter of how much.
If it was hard or very stiff, I would re hydrate before even cleaning so as not to damage it.
Removing it from the hanger and a good saddle soap cleaning with a damp sponge or soft brush is a good start. Then working in a small amount of Neat’s-foot oil about a ¼ teaspoon is a good start. Much of the scratches will disappear. It looks like it may take a couple cleaning to get all the years of grime and soap out of it, go slow and work softly. Do not scour with harsh cleaning pads or brushes or sand paper. It has taken years to accumulate the grime and will take some time to come off without damaging the leather. As it re-hydrates it will release more of the deep grime, which for a strop is bad.
Here is a recent reply on the same subject, post 22 on this thread, “Strops better than Hones” with some very good links on the subject.
Old leather need re hydrating and cleaning slowly, using a good saddle soap and Neat’s-foot oil or a good quality leather conditioner added a little ¼ teaspoon, at a time to a damp strop and worked in, then wait a few days to a week to allow it to absorb and do it again if needed.
The key is to proceed slowly, old leather can easily be damaged if cleaned aggressively.
Ah, ok! Thought maby "rehydrate" was another prosedure. Thanx for describing it to me! I would probably have rushed it...
Please understand that many people here confuse "rehydration" with oiling. Leather needs water more than oil and can be ruined by being saturated with oil. Rehydration is the gradual addition of water to leather, followed by the addition of a small amount of protective oil.
Be forewarned.
I bought an old strop that had been stored for many years in an attic. The first time I pulled on the handle it came off!
The threads had dry rotted. Took it to my cobbler and had it re-stitched. Still using it.
That's neet to have. but for me i'm kind of glad i don't have grand's strop. Dad wore it out on me:cry:
Here is a link to a well done article on leather preservation and maintenance. Go to the section on old leather.
Do not put shoe polish on your strop.
Leather Preservation for new leather
Lots of good advice here, it'll look great when done! Very nice heirloom from your Great Grandfather, a real keeper.
Okay, so I have cleaned it now. A few times and let it hand and "rest" a day between. Now, after geting rid of the dirt I can see small particles glimmer in the surface. Probably some metal... They wont come off by cleaning with leather soap. Is there something else I can do to get rid of them? Or do I simply have to rehydrate it (witch would be the next step anyway) and then test and see if the particles have any effect?
I have never tried it myself, but I've read that a strong magnet through a thin cloth, or maybe it was paper towel. Sounds weird but it might work.Quote:
Originally Posted by JackeHj
Might work with a really strong magnet. The particles are so small so Im not sure a magnet will "find" them and be able to pull them out. But it is worth a try, if I had a strong magnet...Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyHAD
Dunno bout stores to buy a strong magnet, but in a pinch this is what I do. Don't ask why I need this, it's...complicated.
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Insulated copper wire will work. Be careful using batteries...
http://science.howstuffworks.com/how...ctromagnet.htm
Yes, that could work! I study physics so I should have been able to come up with that idea myself... :hmmm:Quote:
Originally Posted by dinnermint
"Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it."
If you go over to the honing section and search for Iwasaki's guide to honing, in it there is a strop care section. I'd advise ignoring the advice about gasoline...
But yes if it cordovan shell you can indeed sand it. I've sanded a couple of Kanoyamas out to 1500 grit and then rubbed them with a nagura stone and both shine like mirrors.
And if it is shell, you should avoid any fat on the surface according to the instructions given at AFrames Tokyo for the Kanoyama strops.
Cheers, Steve
Liquid Glycerin. I have a certain brand that I use that has other conditioners in it ( old family recipe ) but it cleans and hydrates and conditions all at once. It's easy to use and you won't mess up by using to much. Forget neetsfoot oil. Too much of that on old leather and you will rot it out the other direction. Too much oil is like to dry, it does the same thing to leather. Also pay attention to your saddle soap. Half the brands have wax it them . You do not want that on your strop either. Be careful sanding shell. It has a very thin epidural layer and if you go through that you have suede. This will be easy to do if you have nicks as the edges will expose the edge of this layer and it will go through it in a heart beat. After you get it clean you may want to burnish it and see if that smooths things out better. A PITA but better than sanding.
As for the metal ( if that's what it is) if you can't feel it I doubt your razor will either :<0) It may come out as you use it or it is pressed down in from using it. The lesson here is use the linen first and get the blade clean before it hits the leather.
Making progress!
Today after doing the first rehydrating pass on my strop I noticed that I could feel the metal dust (or whatever it is) more clearly than before... Dont know if I it is because of the rehydrating process or if I just happened to drag my hand in a new way over the stop. But I felt them, thinking "Oh man, Im never gonna be able to use it now...". Then I noticed a was able to "drag the out" using my thumb :) So, for some reason, I took a sheet of sandpaper and started rubbing the strop with the back side of it. The fine cardboard paper on the back of the sandpaper actually gave the leather a nice polish, and it removed most of the dust! (more effectively than my thomb) :D Hope to be able to get rid of the last parts of it tomorrow after another rehydration.
The back of the sandpaper also did smoothen some parts out that felt a bit "rough". :D
/Jacob
The leather expended from the inside exposing your dust. The back of the paper is burnishing a little. You might try rubbing real hard with a towel to finish getting the particles out. Looks like you going to get this working fine again :<0)
yep, as expected I got rid of the last remaining dust after another rehydration today! :D So now it is all done!
Here is what it looks like! I will try it out tomorrow and see how it performs :)
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It has a bit of scratches and stuff left, but I think and hope they'll do no harm. I'll find out tomorrow!
and I'll also attach a before and after pic of the linen side. I cleaned it as good as I could, it still has some dark spots but nothing that will affect the stroping. And I dont mind that it looks old and used, gives it a bit character :)
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Thank you all for helping me bring my heirloom back to life! :chapeau
Jacob
