Thread: Strop cleaning tip

My Kanayama has turned partially black.

I guess it's because I hone so much.. Also I used to apply a bit too much pressure on the top turn. Microscope images showed I was bending the edge on one side ( slightly,never effected the shave)

The other day I tried the damp microfiber technique.
It cleaned parts but I stopped because it's too delicate for hard rubbing...

I've ordered the leatherique cleaner...I'll post pics next week showing the before and after....

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Ya gotta watch that lighter fluid. Uncle Zeke used to take his old strops with him and coat them with kerosene when he went Elk hunting. He'd light them and flail them around when the bears got too close. One day he flailed them too much and started a massive forest fire.

They're still looking for him.

I believe that what we have here is an example of Bull Shite Instead of Knowledge.

Update: where I live, women's makeup removal pads come in two versions: with oil and no-oil (read the label!). I've only used the latter.

It's times like this I miss Mr Miller to set everone straight.

These questions and their solutions for old strops may be way beyond our mortal powers to add and detract.
1st we need to remember that inorder for the strop to be there in the 1st place it just didn't come off the back of a horse or cow, it had to be chemically treated to become leather and there were Different ways to do this. The process that was used may determine what care was then and now needed.
The tanning(preserving) and the processing of the leather used for a strop may also have been unique to its purpose. It wasn't created to become a pair of boots or a coat. It was processed to become a strop. (Just like the iron in your razor).
The strop was designed to have a specific 'draw' smoothness or roughness to accomplish its purpose. The process and chemicals applied in its conception determined this. With old strops we can probably only guess what these were.
My suggestion is that if you now have a usable strop just wipe it off with a slightly damp towel every now and then and rub it with the palm of your hand before and after you use it. And Never Paste a good Leather strop!!





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Ether (brake cleaner) or Naphtha (lighter fluid) are great, although very volatile and flammable cleaners and degreasers. They will remove the crud along with all of the surface oils so a treatment after cleaning would be necessary.

Maybe it would help if I explain that I'm used to the damp cloth and occasional drop of Ballistol for maintaining my strops - however, the Neil Miller strop needed something more as I noticed that there were patches of residue building up that you could actually feel when stropping and that were resistant to the usual cleaning method.

I have to say that a few days on from using the brake cleaner, the strop looks to be in perfect health and is certainly performing better. Like one of the earlier contributors I'm not too precious about my strops and if this is what they need every 4 years or so, I'll do it again and would still expect them to outlast me.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

So, you put Ballistol on your strop?

Yes I do.or I should say I did as I used it mainly to restore my Jager strop that had hung in a barn for 30 years. After getting the strop in good condition about 6 months ago I haven't needed to add any more. I figured my Jager did really good with the Ballistol so I used a small amount on my Koken strop with no problems. Ballistol was invented to clean & lube leather & guns for the Germans in WW-1. Go to their web site & check it out. My strops are now in like new condition so I will say "YES" I put Ballistol on my strops.