Thread: Dont try this EVER

well i went and got me a couple of illinois 206 strops

after trying it for a few days i decide i prefer a little more draw...
First i try Dovo yellow strop dressing, gets a little softer but not the draw i want
Trial two: Oil use what you got right?
I used baby oil first just a little, strop get softer no difference in draw.
And then i soak it in oil, now its pliable as soft rubber no draw at all
and if i squeese it oil comes out of it.
Been laying it flat lately rubbing with the back of a knife and wiping the exess with paper.
(i could use a steam roller i think)
Rubbing with soap works temporarelyas a fix but its not long before it starts seeping again.

Now does anyone have a remedy for this or is it just another example of why not to do this?

i still got another of those strops so its not catastropic for me

There is a way to diminish the oil in it but you must be careful. You can lay brown paper on it and use a clothes iron over the paper. Use a setting that is not too hot and it will wick out the oil It takes a while and the trick is not to get it too hot. Just warm enough to make the oil come out. Newspaper works also. It takes a lot of paper.
Remember, don't get it too hot. Heat is an enemy of leather.

hmm careful
not my best side actually
i will give that a try and hope i dont shrink it

Just a thought but auto parts stores sell bags of a material similar to cat litter to absorb oil spill on concrete. I would try something like that first. Also maybe PM Tony Miller and ask his advice. When it comes to strops he has seen it all.

Have you tried putting shaving lather on it and rubbing it with a smooth glass bottle. That usually squeezes out all the dirt and should remove a lot of the oil.

Try putting it in a bag of salt for a day or two. Make sure it is well covered. The salt should draw the oil right out of it but it might also dry out the strop too much if you aren't careful so you may have to recondition the strop after

Originally Posted by mackie

There is a way to diminish the oil in it but you must be careful. You can lay brown paper on it and use a clothes iron over the paper. Use a setting that is not too hot and it will wick out the oil It takes a while and the trick is not to get it too hot. Just warm enough to make the oil come out. Newspaper works also. It takes a lot of paper.
Remember, don't get it too hot. Heat is an enemy of leather.

+1 Try toilet paper instead.

Originally Posted by janivar123

well i went and got me a couple of illinois 206 strops

after trying it for a few days i decide i prefer a little more draw...
First i try Dovo yellow strop dressing, gets a little softer but not the draw i want
Trial two: Oil use what you got right?
I used baby oil first just a little, strop get softer no difference in draw.
And then i soak it in oil, now its pliable as soft rubber no draw at all
and if i squeese it oil comes out of it.
...............

It is oil.
You get oil off your hands with hand soap.

Press it between masses of newspaper to express
as much as you can. If there is no hardware run
over it with a car....

Then lather, rinse, repeat for about 1/4 of a puck of Williams
with a $7.00 boar brush. You can also use other common
detergent cleaners even Boraxo hand soap..... You can
skip the boar brush and just rub the puck of Williams on
the strop and scrub with a kitchen fingernail brush.
A bar of green Lava soap might also work....

When enough oil is out you should be good to go.
Saddle soap is good for the last bit of cleaning.

Since oil is a lubricant this almost makes sense.
Beef or bacon fat (without the salt) would have been a
better try. N.B. If you have pets, bacon or beef fat would
make a chew toy.

Williams is cheaper and safer, but, if you have a
well ventilated outside place white gas for a camp
stove has no additives the way auto gasoline does.
Others have flamed this idea...

What you want for draw is an oil that gets gummy
when left in the air. You can scorch some canola
vegetable oil and get a gummy mess. . Try
that. The oxidation happens without heat for most
leather strop dressings but takes a long time. The
ultra thin layer of oil that your hand applies if you
rub a strop each day does exactly the right thing....

Wood workers can compare and contrast boiled and
raw linseed oil and also tung oil finishes. It all hinges
on thin layer on thin layer... hours or days apart...

Soaps would work but detergents would be to harsh for leather. I think the rolling pin/paper method would be safest and most reliable. Jan Ivar, you crazy man!LOL