Illinios 827 warping

I bought the 827 because it was a good starter strop and had a linen part.

I have been using it for about 3 months now and some of the leather looks like it is shrinking. I tried to capture it in pics but it cant. Some parts of the strop look like they have lost about a 1/4 inch.It looks like the leather is warping.

I keep it in a climate controlled room with no humidity.

My strop is no longer 2.5 in wide across the entire length. Is this normal?
I guess my main concern is if this will effect my stropping

Contact the vendor where you bought it and ask for an exchange first off...
These things are designed for decades of use not months...

See where that goes , before you start trying to correct it...

+1 on contacting the vendor first. That sounds weird. I still have my first 827 and it is in great shape after several years of use. Glen uses his as an after honing strop so you know it sees a lot of use.

Good luck!

-Rob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jimmyfingers

I bought the 827 because it was a good starter strop and had a linen part.

I have been using it for about 3 months now and some of the leather looks like it is shrinking. I tried to capture it in pics but it cant. Some parts of the strop look like they have lost about a 1/4 inch.It looks like the leather is warping.

I keep it in a climate controlled room with no humidity.

My strop is no longer 2.5 in wide across the entire length. Is this normal?
I guess my main concern is if this will effect my stropping

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In defene of the strop, were I stored in a room with no humidity, I'd probably get wierd(er) too.

I recommend contacting the vendor as well. The changes in the leather should be minimal and uniform as its packed with waxes and oils when it's tanned.

Thanks guys, I contacted the vendor about it. I haven't heard a reply back yet though.

Are the parts that are shrinking towards the ends or towards the middle? I noticed that when I was first starting to strop, I would pull the strop too tight and it started too change the shape of the strop. Luckily I noticed it soon enough and after letting it hang for a bit, rubbing with my palm and adjusting my pull strength it went back to its original shape. My strop had more of a bend in it though than getting skinnier. Good luck with the vendor.

If the room in which it is stored is truly humidity free, I would suspect that to be the problem in that it would lead to premature drying/aging of the leather.

Its shrinking in a few different places. I don't think its anything Im doing wrong because new places keep forming every week.

The vendor said he would give me my money back