Gummy residue on Scrupleworks strop

I have a 3” Scrupleworks strop that has developed what I can best describe as gummy deposits on the leather surface.

My normal strop routine is 10 laps on linen and 20 - 30 on leather. I thought stropping on the linen would clean any soap residue off the blade before hitting the relatively fast draw leather surface. When I finish a shave, I rinse the blade and wipe it dry with a towel and leave it to air dry for an hour or so before putting the razor away.

I am hesitant to apply any kind of cleaner or solvent to the leather surface of what is a very nice strop. Any suggestions for removing the residue would be greatly appreciated.

I always rinse and dry blade with tissue before stopping.
You can try to clean strop with a lightly damp cloth and immediately follow with a dry cloth. Lay it flat until totally dry. Then rub with palm of hands to apply some body oil to leather.

Do you use a "strop sock"? If so, perhaps you grabbed the wrong one.

You could try saddle soap to clean the leather with.

Bob

If it is Horween shell, the waxy stuff comes out of the strop as you strop. I have one and rub it off with my palm.
Stuff was made to make shoes and belts. Not strops.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by sharptonn

If it is Horween shell, the waxy stuff comes out of the strop as you strop. I have one and rub it off with my palm.
Stuff was made to make shoes and belts. Not strops.

---

It is Horween shell. I have tried to use my palm to remove it, but it returns during the next stropping session. It’s good to know it’s coming from the strop and not something I’ve left on the razors.

If it's stubborn, try a dry microfiber towel. It should rub off.

I noticed on the predyed horween I ordered for strop building, the same thing gents. But never on the natural shades.
A waxy type film comes out to the surface over time of non use. Rub it back in or off as Tom suggests and good to go again.
I think it’s the process used for this supple super fast stuff. But also as Tom mentions, this stuff wasn’t made for strops, even though it’s slick like a kanayama, wth residue.
Palm rub it away/back in, and you are back in business.
Stay away from cleaning oils except genuine pure neetsfoot, or maybe mink, in super slight (less than damp really) quantities on your lint free rag.
Cheers

Torolf uses oil tanned and vegetable tanned Horween and Swedish Bridle, either way they are hot stuffed with oil and grease. These oils and grease can come to the surface, as suggested wipe with a microfiber cloth.

My oil tanned from Torolf has only seeen a warm damp cotton cloth a few times a year to keep the leather hydrated then once and only once a year I use Venetian shoe cream in the natural flavor and put a good dose of it on a cotton sock and use that to rub down each one of my strops and it’s glass smooth....

My suggestion would use a damp warm cloth and rub not scrub over the leather over several days and once it’s gone use a good leather treatment, I can’t recommend the Venetian shoe cream enough, I have used lots of things over the years and it works the best but then it comes recommended by Horween

I had a red died strop from SRD. That thing never came clean. Always had an oily died gunk on it. I got so tired of trying to clean it that i started using rubbing alcohol on it. Day after day after day. It never did come clean.
Im not saying yours is anything like the one i had but start with warm damp cloth. Let it dry and try again until its clean. Strop cleaning and or conditioning takes time.

This happens with oil and wax impregnated leather like Horween Chromexcel, and some latigo and bridle leathers. Under certain conditions of temperature and humidity the oils and waxes migrate to the surface in a "bloom" and leave a whitish, dusty looking coating. It can be buffed back to a shine much like the wax on a car after it dries and whites out.

Not sure exactly what combination of conditions causes it but my Horween leathers can look fine for months then one day nearly all of them have the white 'bloom" on the surface. My shop does not have direct heat in it so runs 15 to 20 degrees cooler than my house at times but it quite dry and just this past weekend many of my older hides all did this where the newest ones did not. I have had my old style latigo do this in my hot and humid bathroom as well.