Thread: REMOVING STROP IMPERFECTIONS

In reading forum inputs on stropping I found a few references to "sanding out imperfections" on strops. Novices leave imperfections on everything they touch, especially their strops and faces.

Could some of the "seriously sharp blade" men of wisdom in the Forum offer advise on this subject?

Need to save some bucks;
MikeL

Sanding can be done with ... sandpaper , pumice stones or my preference, diamond plates.
Here's a link with lottsa info:
Strop treatment and repair - Straight Razor Place Wiki

I have noticed using .0000 steel wool works very well. It smooths out the nicks and leaves no scratches to the leather around it. After i sand down the nicked area with the .0000 steel wool i rub the area with my palm to release the natural oils from the skin into the strop. The more you times you rub the strop with your palm the better the results get. You can also use a recommended strop oil such as neatsfoot oil.

When you say imperfections I assume you mean minor nicks. Some imperfections are internal to the piece of leather and of course there is nothing you can do to reduce them. The nicks and cuts I like to treat with a very fine pumice stone but sand paper and steel wool work too.