Thread: 1926 patent for strop dressing

Just came across this and thought it might be interesting. It appears that even back then there were qestions/issues/arguments about what you should use and how it works...

(Oh, and I googled Crocus of Mars and found that its ferric oxide)

Dave

The other thing in the recipe that I didn't immediately recognise was bicarbonate of Magnesia. With a little poking around I found that its more commonly known as Magnesia carbonate which is used as chalk for gymnasts, rock climbers and weightlifters (not to be confused with blackboard chalk which apparently is gypsum based).

Very cool. It would be fun to make this kind of thing.

I've seen reference in older texts about crocus powder being used for strop dressing. One recipe called for soaking strop leather in kerosene mixed with crocus powder.

As an interesting aside, if we really want to accurately represent the terminology used "back in the day" for blades with mirror finish vs. satin finish, we would refer to mirror finish blades as having a "crocus finish". Crocus powder was loaded on the buffing wheels back then to give knives and razors mirror finish.

The document you've linked seems to be more of a touch up abrasive finish rather than one that would be used every day?

"...the razor strop when treated with the compound being thus brought to a condition where it will effect the result ordinarily effected by a stone hone"

Thanks for posting this!

Chris L

It is interesting. Crocus is referred to on the Razor Central site as a product imparted into all strops for daily use.

I was amazed recently when I went to a historical site which had a long thread asking about the many references to Crocus in the town's archives. Many of the historians kept asking, 'What is the purpose of all these Crocus deliveries to our town back in the 1900s?"

I was flabergasted when I saw the historical site was discussing Sheffield, England.