Thread: Lathering a strop

I'm going to get a glass bottle right now. I'll be back in a few minutes.

I... am a believer Thank you!

I've been told that by an old barber years ago and I seem to remember reading it in a barber manual someone linked to the forum. Maybe in the help files but I've never done that. I've got an old stiff strop I may try that on. Thanks.

I have to give his a try, I was using olive oil,worked like a charm but this sounds interesting.

David

Could someone post a little more info on the procedure, i.e. is soap better than cream, do you leave it sit for a while, how much do you apply, and if there is excess do you wipe it off and with what?

Cheers

Originally Posted by McShaverson

I'm going to get a glass bottle right now. I'll be back in a few minutes.

Me too.

Whoops this one is full so I better fix it.

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

Me too.

Whoops this one is full so I better fix it.

LOL,good enough reason for me to try it out

OK here is the procedure. I don't know if cream will work. I used soap. I made a lather and used the brush to coat the strop thick. Then I held the end of the strop and used the bottle just like it was a razor. I simply put it on the strop and ran it back and forth. The soap dripped onto the floor so I had to clean it up. Brown gunk came off the strop. After about fifty swipes I cleaned the strop off with a rag and I was supprised. The strop looked almost new and was softer. Even the scratches seemed to be gone. I had been using neatsfoot oil but never again. The barber told me you have to use a GLASS bottle or jar of some sort. When the strop dried overnight it looked great and it feels so much better when I strop, and the razor seems sharper. I would not have believed it if I hadn't seen it. I don't know what that soap and bottle ,but it sure revived my old strop. I am going to take it off the wall and lay it on some newspaper and do the other side. Also there is about six inches that didn't get done where I was holding it. Mack
By the way, It did turn the strop a little darker.

The only thing that gives me pause on this is JimR's post here on care and maintenance of the Kanayama strop. Pertinent portion of which is quoted below;

"Naomi-san's advice for maintenance is simple:
Whenever you feel it necessary (once or twice a year at most, or if the surface feels "off"--maybe more often in drier areas), lay the strop flat on a table, face-up.
Get a smooth, lint free cloth (like an old t-shirt, no terrycloth) and wet it with lukewarm water. Wring it out REALLY WELL, as in, it should really only be slightly damp.
Run the cloth ONCE over the face of the strop quickly, making sure not to stop and that no water touches the back or sides of the strop, where it will harden the leather. Remember, ONE TIME only. Be careful not to let any drops gather, or they will stain the leather.
Let the strop dry thoroughly.
If you still feel that the surface doesn't feel right, then repeat.

This should refresh a slightly hardened or aging strop.

Naomi-san does not recommend any oil, as over time the oil will start to oxidize and break down, damaging the conditioning of the strop."

Seems contradictory for sure so I'm going to try the lather on an old one I have that is like a sheet of plywood and report back. BTW, IIRC the barber who told me or the thing I read suggested doing it on a counter top.

Saddle-soap works well - the primary reason to use it firstly to clean, secondly to remove excess oil, thirdly to condition. It does, however, already contain oils such as neatsfoot and sometimes lanolin. If the soap didn't contain a softener/oil component, the strop would dry hard - the oil prevents this from happening.

If the strop is not oily to begin with and the soap has no softening/conditioning qualities. it may be advisable to put a little neatsfoot oil on a balled-up cloth and rub a light application over the surface of the strop before it has fully dried - helps to avoid turning the strop into a piece of stiff leather.

Williams mug soap (many people use it for this purpose) contains sodium tallowate - as the name suggests, it is rendered animal fat (tallow) as well as sodium cocoate - saponified coconut oil, as well glycerin (saddle soaps contain glycerine, too).

Some people useone or two fairly quick applications of (really stiff) lather, some leave the lather on the strop for ages.

The bottle is used to flatten the surface, making it smoother. You may not need it, or you may like to roll/push the lather in with it. However, if you have used a pumice stone on the strop (it abrades small imperfections, flattens, but raises a velvety nap) you may want to use the bottle to flatten the fine nap. Or not - its up to you and depends on whether the strops surface is meant to have a fine nap or was originally smooth. The pumicing step isn't necessary either.

Most modern strops will not need any of the above. Latigo and other oiled/waxed leathers may have unpredictable results when treated as above. I expect old-time barbers got used to their products and knew what worked best on each one.

Regards,
Neil.