Thread: CrOx encrusted strop

Clean CrOx is just fine. Pun intended.

Paul. In leiu of an SOTD to-day, I took some pics of what I feel you may be dealing with.
This strop is a NOS Certifyd Camel 124. It has been kept in a good climate and seems to be mint.
The fabric is stiff and permeated with the waxy substance I have tried to remove on others by boiling with Oxyclean and bleach in the water as it is nasty, cracked and rough on some strops. I have succeeded to a degree in that they get clean and nice.
I don't think I have ever gotten it all out, but have made them usable.
I left this one alone as it is in such fine shape.



I feel this last pic may offer a clue as to why they did this back when.


Back then, A/C and low humidity was not as common or nonexistant. I think it was literally an attempt to make the strop stay nice longer. It is stiff and hard, but strops effectively and the green color will not come off, even with a white cloth, so not CroOx.



In all my strops where I have removed it, they were nasty and mouldy, the substance had been melted-out and cracked on the surface. I feel if stored in a hot, humid place like an attic for decades causes it.
Also, in those I boiled, the logos and printing were the 1st thing to go as they were printed after the treatment.

So....A loom strop. Perhaps I have wasted time?
Pictures.....Worth a thousand words!

Most likely washing the strop will shrink it, but it's perfectly fine to wash the linen strop with hot water... i would recommend to try with cold water first... and with some strong dish soap then second round with oxyclean... most of these compounds are grease based, so it would clean them well.. nafta or ligther fluid wouldn't damage it either but the smell and the fact that you will be rubbing a razor on it makes me reluctant of using that kind of substances...
if cold water does not loose it then agree, hot water it is.. but some of my strops cleaned up nicely with just cold water (by cold i mean just tap water regular environment temperature)

the reason i would try cold water first is that the linen will tent to shrink less (in my experience). it will shrink but not as much. Some folks suggest you could hang it to dry with some weight on the bottom to help avoid shrinking... never tried but in fact when i have to do this job again I will.. not worries about 1 cm loose of strop length but if it could be avoid i'm up for it

you could wrap the leather strop in that plastic wrap for food. very tight.. protect it as much as possible, use some tape in the ends.. but unfortunately it's bound to get wet.

Sorry, Sharptonn. My bad for not mentioning that initially. I'll be more explicit next time.
And maybe I'll get my own camera, too.

Paul

No worries, Paul. I just figured you might be dealing with this.
Here is a before and after on one. Not green, but you get the idea.
Cold water will not touch this nasty stuff!


This took several boilings and water/Oxyclean changes
Some bleach added at the end

The color in the white stuff is the logos and printing.



Dried for a few days between paper towels with weight on top.
Like new again!

OK. Here are a couple of photos.

The first photo shows the strop right after the majority of the CrOx crust had been
scraped off with the spine of a knife. Note the dark streaks, which indicate to me
that the CrOx had aggressively removed metal from the knife.



The second photo shows the strop after being wiped with a dry cotton cloth.
Note the CrOx on the cloth.


I think I'll give this a try with a test razor to determine if further work needs to be
done, before using it on a "good" razor."

Paul,

You could always use a kitchen knife and strop it to see what it does to that edge/it's much thicker than any razors---- Just a thought

Wow that is still a ton of CrOx

HOLY SMOKES!
THAT is a Crox strop allright.
Some tell me the Livi Loom strops are packed. Never held one.

Yeah, sacrifice some paper towels and rags. Seems a lot to me.

Nice pics!

Adversely, I use Balsa as a CroOx strop.
I pasted it once (powder CroOx)...A decade ago.
Lots have been across it.
Never repasted. you cannot hardly get a green fingertip rubbing the middle. The stuff is pressed into the balsa.
On the ends and out of the stropping zone you still can.
Works lighter and better as it goes, IMO.