Thread: Strop cleaning tip

Originally Posted by Hirlau

This process of yours, that you got from Maestro Livi, may be O.K.

It's just that the idea of "brake fluid" on a Neil Miller gave me the same reaction as when I first got tased.

"Brake Cleaner" and "Brake Fluid" are not one and the same. I'm sure Hirlau is aware of that, I'm just pointing it out for anyone who might *skim* through this thread.

As for using Brake Cleaner.... yes, it's going to degrease and clean leather, just as it would any parts in a braking system on a car. Lighter fluid is NOT the same, it is a very very light distillate of crude oil, and in fact it IS an oil of sorts, and it would not make a substitute for brake cleaner when working on cars. Given my druthers, I'd reach for the lighter fluid first and in fact I just did, cleaning the gunk off a powered strop I use for sharpening knives and such (never a straight razor, or course). It works great and is not as drying as brake cleaner would be.

Now, I don't think using Brake Cleaner is going to immediately ruin a strop, but I would feel the need to replace some of the natural oils after cleaning.

As with everything else, we all have a pet ways of doing things.... I tend to reach for a waterless mechanics hand cleaner with lanolin when I try to revive an old strop (NO PUMICE) and I do not use the citrus based ones either, just the mineral spirits type (I think mineral spirits and lighter fluid are pretty close to each other in the grand scheme of things).

But, all the above aside, I'll try a damp microfiber cloth first (cotton terry if I don't have micro fiber handy) first... then go from there. Pears bar soap works pretty well for me, if I need to 'up the cleaning' a bit, it's much like the saddle soap I used when I worked at Assiniboia Downs as a swing groom. There was lots of tack to take care of, and much of that tack was 20 or 30 years old and older. It would get muddy, sand and grit ground in from the track, sopping wet from when it rained.... lots and lots of abuse, but a pure glycerin soap and some neatsfoot oil is all we needed to use. Sure, it would eventually kill the leather, but daily use and weekly cleaning over 30 or 40 years is more abuse than a razor strop will see in a century of use. I would suggest that a lack of use is what's killing most strops.

That is my point of view... right or wrong.

Regards

Christian

Thanks Zero, I used the wrong word,, gotta go change that.

It happens Hirlau,

In fact, I think I had to go back and correct my post 3 times as proof reading before I post something never seems to catch the errors, but they stand out like sore thumbs, once you click the 'post" button....

Regards

Kaptain "Doh!" Zero

Originally Posted by UKRob

My Neil Miller Cordovan strop was at a stage where hand rubbing was no longer enough to clean and it was showing signs of a build up in places, So, having seen a video where Maestro Livi recommends lighter fluid as a cleaning agent I looked around to see what might be available - it's been many years since I smoked and even longer since I had a refillable lighter.

I keep brake disc cleaner available for when I'm polishing blades and I've just tried this on a piece of tissue paper - a squirt of fluid and then wipe the strop three or four times in the same direction. The effect was amazing in terms of the dirt that came away - and because this stuff evaporates quickly the strop was dry again within a few seconds. This time when I hand rubbed the difference was really noticeable. Something to bear in mind.

Rob,
There was a thread on this, someone else suggested women's makeup removal pads....I tried this both on the Crox side of the Livi loom strop (to remove the black stuff) and on the yellow leather side (to remove green stuff which transferred from the Crox side), works well with no ill effects that I can see....

Yup, they both work and I have tried them, but prefer WD40 on vintage strops. Whatever solvent, you use you will have to replace the lost oils. WD40 works well for removing old caked on Chrome Oxide from paddle strops.

In the Iwasaki text, he recommended removing oil from a strop using Gasoline, though some feel he meant Kerosene, in the translation.

Point is, as long as the oils are replaced, you should be ok. Personally on my daily divers, I just maintain them with a clean damp micro fiber and paper towel, and occasionally add, literally a drop or two of Ballistol on a paper towel occasionally.

Ballistol will remove dust and burnishing from the steel.

What happened to using your lather from your brush & a clean, dry wash cloth after you shave?

I've used Ballistol on my very old Illinois # 50 as well as my Kanayama 30000. Twice a year I'll use a very small amount of Renaissance wax on each of them. This seems to work well for me.
I'm aware that gasoline has been suggested to use as an agent to clean strops but that's way above my pay grade.

I'll never understand why folks use these sledgehammer approaches to cleaning strops. Bick has a leather cleaner which is designed for cleaning and is Ph balanced and cleans without deteriorating leather and contains no petroleum distillates.

If you want the cats meow get a kit of leatherique. It will make yer leather look brand new and supple and can be used for all leather. It's expensive but worth it especially if you have leather in your car or furniture in your house.

Gasoline, white gas, lighter fluid, mineral spirits, coleman fuel, kerosene, jet fuel, mineral oil etc. etc. are ALL distillates of crude oil.... they are all "oils". Some of these are filtered and more carefully distilled than others, some get additives (automotive gasoline for example) and are higher and lower in volatility as well as viscosity... heck, even petroleum jelly belongs to this group.

We consider these to be "mineral" oils, but they are made from dead plants and animals.... just a long long time ago.

The thinner, lighter, more volatile oils, will easily wash out heavier oils in something like leather, so we need to keep that in mind.

My own opinion on Iwasaki's suggestion of using gasoline to wash out excessive oil in a strop is that he probably referred to "white gas" or Coleman fuel as it's called here in Canada (no additives). It would dilute and wash out the oil in a strop, drying it out and not having too much of an offensive odor, something kerosene/jet fuel cannot claim. Kerosene will eventually dissipate, but it does take a long time. In the old days, automotive gasoline would have contained lead as an anti-knock additive and to protect the valves, and even though we don't add lead anymore, there are lots of other chemicals and cleaners added, never mind the 10% ethanol required in many countries.

We all have our ideas and beliefs on what should or should not be used on leather.... Unfortunately, none of us will be around long enough to say "See... I told you. Don't use X on a leather strop!!!"


Many will object to my method of cleaning old leather strops, not to mention how I clean and treat tack in the barn, but this is probably one of those moments where I just say "Hey, it works for me!"

YMMV

Regards

Christian

Like Banjo Tom & Euclid400 I love my Ballistol I have yet to find anything wrong with this product. It is great on all leather, guns,bike chain lube, cutting oil, tap oil, just about anything. I add a little to my Smith's honing solution.
In Europe it is used for medical purposes. The list just go's on. Any one who tinkers with metal or leather should have some of this stuff!
I have an old electric motor I couldn't get the oil plug out of one end. For about a week I put a very small amount of Ballistol on the threads of the plug. It broke free on day 6 with no damage to the metal.
Just try some!

Dave Huffman