Thread: Newbie question

I use to store my first strop in the bathroom and the ladyfriend at the time splashed a ton of water on it. Now they hang on a hook screwed into the desk I use as a TV.

Thank you gents , the consensus seems to be not to keep the strops in the bathroom so I will not take the risk .

While I do not recommend storing them in a humid bathroom I have several that have been in mine non-stop for over 10 years and are still fine. Both oily/waxy leather like Latigo or Bridle and even a natural veg tanned horsehide one. Humid summers here and exposed to 2 or 3 steamy showers each day.

So.... do as I say, not as I do :-)

I appreciate seeing your response on this, Tony.

I was really starting to feel like the odd man out here, as I keep my go-to strops in my bathroom where I shower, and always have, for years. I cherish my good strops, and as much as I fuss about all other things straight shaving related, I'd never do anything I thought would hurt them. But I've never been able to see any ill effects, so I keep doing it. I am very careful about not splashing water on them. They're well away from my shower, and on the opposite wall from my sink, so it would take a real screw-up on my part to get them wet. If I had kids I might be a lot more careful and not keep them in the bathroom, just to avoid the chance of a direct water splash.

My oldest pair of strops are a Tony Miller 2" red Latigo combined with a 2" slick natural horsehide that I keep held together with your Chicago screws (I combined two separate strops into one), and D-rings. They have always been in my bathroom, for like 8 or 9 years. I rotate others in and out over the years as the mood strikes, but those stay, along with one of your 2.5" flax linen strops, again with D-ring. I've also started messing with fire hose flax linen strops, and there is absolutely something very special about flax linen that really works for me in keeping well-honed razors sharp for very long periods. It's uncanny.

I have a downstairs half-bath where I keep strops hung just because it's closer to my honing area, and I'm just too lazy to walk upstairs and use my "standard" bathroom strops. I actually worry more about those strops, because the little half-bath has a heat register in the floor blowing right on the strops, and I'm concerned it may dry them out. Maybe that isn't a valid concern, not sure.

My strop has not left the bathroom since I started shaving with a straight...2009...

I kept my first strop ( SRD latigo) hanging on the wall opposite the sink for 4 years and is still fine. I have a well ventilated bathroom as well. I now store them all in my razor shop that's the third bay of my 3 car garage. I keep the temp pretty much the same year round in there. Like mentioned above as long as you don't get large amount of water or other liquids on the strop should be fine IMO..

Matt...

Really good to see you back here Tony. Don't be a stranger here.

In general leather and water don't mix.

I've heard pro and con on this subject, I can only tell you, my strop hangs in the bathroom, but then I live in Arizona. It's dry as toast here and I think I would move them out of the bathroom, if I lived in Houston, Hawaii or Miami.

My strops and rotation live in the bathroom. Been there about 4 years. We shower with the fan going and live in the San Francisco Bay Area. No adverse effects for any of my stuff, though I don’t splash water on things.

Bathroom here.