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Hay all
Are my leather strops contaminated?
I decided to test on the side of a stainless steel pot and found a light but noticeable scratch pattern from the "clean" leather strop. I have used wet dry sandpaper on all my strops at some point.
Next time will break in with hand...
Matt
Bad idea to use sandpaper on a strop IMO. If you used a fine grit I can't even imagine how you'd fix that.
Small nicks & such are safely repaired with a diamond plate but you don't need abrasives to break in a strop.
Use a damp washcloth to wipe down the strops, this should help you clean them..
Hint: Do NOT apply Oil/Conditioner to the surface of a strop, put a small amount on your hands, use your hand to rub the strop.
Clean it well BEFORE applying Oil/Conditioner once you use Oil/Conditioner it will lock in any contaminates...
It is fine to use w/d sandpaper on a strop normally only when restoring and only if absolutely necessary.
To aid in removing any remaining grit a dry cloth and vigorously rubbing will remove it. A test blade will confirm it is safe.
It is certainly not used to break in a new strop. As mentioned, a slow methodical approach will yeild the best results.
As new it should have been just fine although a little stiff.
As far as hardness in the strop surface it is actually common even for a well used strop.
Kanayamas are extremely soft but the actual top surface is harder.
You are trying to realign a steel blade with it. It is a combination of firm and soft.
You will get conflicting advice about what to use. I had a similar problem with a strop I bought used except it left very pronounce scratches. I used saddle soap and plenty of water and it took care of it and improved the surface. Expect other users to tell you NEVER to use saddle soap on a strop. I would recommend looking at the label instructions for usage information concerning that.
I've used saddle soap many times to clean up old strops, then condition with Neats foot oil and hand rubbing.
If the surface isn't even, I'll rub it hard with something round,smooth, and hard. Like a heavy glass mug.
Thanks for the input everyone.
I suspect the cookware was too easy to scratch, as it was also scratched by a new peace of clean leather. I'll test on a blade next.
I tried saddle soap and water with a brush and microfiber towel. It came out smooth ànd a little less hard than stock. While inspecting it under a bright light I found tinny reflective specks and used a dental pick to scratch them out. Light pressure worked better than heavy and made less of a mark. It still leaves scratches on cookware but the shave was less aggressive and weepy.
I re ordered a new strop too.
May be your best bet at this point. If you have so much abrasive there that you can see it you may never get it all out. It depends on how imbedded it is.