Thread: Cordovan strop life

Yea, barbers used Cordovan strops their entire careers and they were still useable when the retired.

As long as you take care of it, it will last indefinitely. It may darken and change appearance but will always be serviceable.

I treat all my leather strops with Ballistol. It just works. Check it out at ballistol.com It just takes a little!
Slawman

I bought my first Kanoyama cordovan strop in 2009, it's marked as a "3" inside the gold wreath. I've liked it so much that last year I bought a Kanoyama 80,000. Kind of like you, as a "backup" because I wasn't sure how long they'd still be making them, or still be worth buying even if they were making them. Plus I wanted the nice thick suede strop that it comes with. And I'm honestly a spoiled man-child that just loves and appreciates all things strops and stropping. I even strop already sharp and stropped razors, just for relaxation. I'm sure others here have the same affliction. So owning at least one Kanoyama cordovan strop at some point is a given for someone like me.

Other than being very careful with it to keep it nick-free all that time, I haven't done anything specific to take care of it. It has hung in a centrally air-conditioned/heated house, mostly in my bathroom, or adjacent bedroom during the brief times it has been out of my daily strop rotation. I hand-rub it occasionally, not to treat it, but just because I just like the draw feel when it's warm. While I haven't used it daily during those 10 years, I've certainly used it regularly all that time, and it looks and feels to me the same as the first day I got it. Pristine.

The 80,000 Kanoyama is thick and luxurious and cool and has it's own thing going, but I confess I actually still prefer the pure glass-slick texture of my little entry-level "3" Kanoyama. Great and unique strops, and it will be a sad day when they stop making them.

I've put my kanayama through the ringer with leather cleaners etc.
Now I do nothing to it but strop on it, no hand rubbing.
The sheen is there and it seems to have no draw.
The only thing I might do, down the line is a damp cloth wipe, semi soaking it.