Thread: Strop restoration

This guy is "furry". Not sure how to go about restoration.

Can I use any oils found in the house? Olive, coconut, etc.?

Do I just rub it in once and let it sit overnight? Or do I keep rubbing until it starts to smooth out?

Lots of post on rehydrating old strops, Olive, Neatsfoot or Ballistol. It can take month to re-hydrate an old strop. Go slow.

Is that a hanging strop?

For razor use, the strop must be clean, if not you will just be grinding dirt and grit on your freshly honed bevel.

More razor edges are damaged by stropping on dirty strops than any other means. Airborne dust on a strop can damage an edge. Almost all of the razors I get in for honing, have deep scratches in the bevels from dirty strops.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Lots of post on rehydrating old strops, Olive, Neatsfoot or Ballistol. It can take month to re-hydrate an old strop. Go slow.

Is that a hanging strop?

For razor use, the strop must be clean, if not you will just be grinding dirt and grit on your freshly honed bevel.

More razor edges are damaged by stropping on dirty strops than any other means. Airborne dust on a strop can damage an edge. Almost all of the razors I get in for honing, have deep scratches in the bevels from dirty strops.

Not a hanging strop. It's on the back of the cover to what looks like a polishing stone. I posted it in another honing thread - the one with all the "crud" on it that is actually the stone.

Also - I assume this strop isn't beyond restoration then?

I did a search on restoring and the simplest explanation I found was to clean it with a damp cloth, drying 10 minutes later. Then applying oil after rubbing into onto palms and patting dry 30 minutes later, once a day until restored.

Does that sound about right?

“I did a search on restoring and the simplest explanation I found was to clean it with a damp cloth, drying 10 minutes later. Then applying oil after rubbing into onto palms and patting dry 30 minutes later, once a day until restored.”

Yea… no.

If you do that, you will rot the leather. ¼ ounce one every `14-30 day on a clean strop.

Oil will make it soft, but what about years of dirt and grit. You could neve use that on a razor. The leather is nothing special, on a home-made box, just peel it off and glue on new leather.

If it took years to dry out, it could take months to rehydrate.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

“I did a search on restoring and the simplest explanation I found was to clean it with a damp cloth, drying 10 minutes later. Then applying oil after rubbing into onto palms and patting dry 30 minutes later, once a day until restored.”

Yea… no.

If you do that, you will rot the leather. ¼ ounce one every `14-30 day on a clean strop.

Oil will make it soft, but what about years of dirt and grit. You could neve use that on a razor. The leather is nothing special, on a home-made box, just peel it off and glue on new leather.

If it took years to dry out, it could take months to rehydrate.

Thanks for clarifying.

I kind of want to try and keep and restore the current one since it goes with the Washita stone from my other thread.

I have an extra strop I've been using for my razors to use while this one "heals".

Question on the "fur" - should I bother trying to remove it?

Replace the leather and in a short while it will "look" vintage if you use it.