Thread: Strop Maintenance (Newspaper and bend)

Yea, you are kind of doing the same thing as the roller on a smaller scale as well as burnishing the finish.

The roller I use is a smooth plastic pastry roller with ball bearing in the roller. I on the other hand I want a smooth suede finish, just the slightest of nap. When I strop on it, I can see the nap change directions, like a shadow. I lightly scrape the finished side with a sharp card scraper.

Rolling with a rolling pin, glass bottle or tool shaft breaks down the fibers and relaxes the leather for a smoother finish and strop consistency.

My shop strop is an old ¼ inch thick, Certified, Russian Diamond Cut back, that is soft and floppy, it will roll and twist easily yet pull taught and provide a fine finish. I keep it hydrated and well oiled. I wipe it down with a wet sponge every time I use it, almost daily and burnish it with a rough paper towel.

I buy folded paper towels in bulk the kind you see in bathrooms, I have the same dispenser. They are cheap and have multiple uses in the shop, or just for drying your hands.

Here’s a pic of the set up and another with a piece of Firehose after repeated rolling. It is soft and floppy. The leather easily bends around the roller.