Thread: Newbie question

Maybe a naive question ... anyway I was wondering if keeping the strops in an high humidity place like the bathroom could affect negatively the strops ...
Is it better keep them in a another stable room?
I have a couple of strops (scrupleworks and Proyet) which I like very much and don't want to ruin them ....

Rgds

Massimo

Personally, I don't think I'd store any leather in a space with high humidity and take a chance on it adversely effecting the leather over time.

Bob

Massimo-I know from pictures I've seen that a number of members here keep their strop(s) hanging somewhere in the bathroom, though I haven't heard of any negative issues. I don't because my bathroom is pretty small, and I keep a strop rack in the adjacent bedroom. With leather some regular humidity may be better for it long-term than an extremely dry environment. If you handle or collect enough vintage strops, the issue with some seems to be drying out, which is why some of us rub in a small amount of neatsfoot oil into our strops maybe once a year or so (from the back if you don't want to change the draw, and less is more!).

Maybe just keep an eye out for any stiffening, mildew or other moisture issues. I run a dehumidifier in our bathroom to combat mildew in general, and to dry out all my gear (razor, brush, mug, etc.) after a shave. I hope this helps. SHD/Aaron

Ideally, strops should not be kept in a bathroom. However, if you watch shaving videos, you will often see strops hanging there. I live in Chicagoland and have a rather large bathroom with a high ceiling, so high humidity is seldom an issue. However, if you live in areas with high humidity such as the southeast and deep south, keeping strops in your bathroom is definitely a bad idea. If you live in San Francisco, the fog wouldn't be helpful, either.

I'm of the crowd that rotates 2 or 3 strops, so I do keep one in the bathroom, but usually only for the day of the shave, and sometimes two days.

I think the key thing to watch for with strops in the bathroom is that they not get splashed with water, hit with over-spray from your wife's hairspray , a spray deodorant, or any other contaminant that might come in contact with it. Mine are kept hanging in homemade strop sleeves when not in use.

I strop before a shave and after to make sure it's dry and slightly coated with oil. Storing them both in the same area for me is a good idea. I never stored razors or strops in the bathroom.

Originally Posted by Bill31521

I strop before a shave and after to make sure it's dry and slightly coated with oil. Storing them both in the same area for me is a good idea. I never stored razors or strops in the bathroom.

Bill--
I assume you mean the razor is lightly coated with oil, not the strop, correct?

Harold

I keep my strops in the bathroom but it is not the bathroom that I shower in regularly. Also if you have a lot of humidity in your bathroom you should seriously consider a good quality exhaust fan that is vented outside the house. High humidity is not good for your bathroom either.

The strop has a tiny amount of natural oils and whatever it picks up from your hand rubbing to coat the edge slightly. I also use clippercide spray after stropping after the shave.

The only thing i keep in the bathroom is the soap and brush im using for the week. An exhaust fan is a must in bathrooms. But as far as leaving a strop in the bathroom, id say not a goos idea. Now if you have a huge bathroom with a fan and so much room the strop is never anywhere near water or sprays or dirty kids hands, its might be ok. But why take the chance.