Thread: breaking in strop

I have a local leather worker making me 2 strops out of virgin latingo any suggestions on breaking them in??

What I have in mind is pasting strops for them...

These two articles from the Wiki are useful.

Strop treatment and repair - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Pasting a strop - a photo tutorial - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Make sure you give the Wiki a good read as its full of useful information.

Good luck!

Originally Posted by Word

I have a local leather worker making me 2 strops out of virgin latingo any suggestions on breaking them in??

What I have in mind is pasting strops for them...

Latigo (the soft variety - there is a very hard, stiff one) doesn't really need any breaking in.

If it is the soft variety it has an abundance of oil and is - in my opinion - best used with powder rather than paste. Paste can ball-up on the surface of it.

Latigo is an excellent stropping leather - seems a pity to use dressing on it, especially as its brand new. I'd rather get a cheaper natural vegetable tanned cowhide and paste that instead - just my opinion, though!

Regards,
Neil

Neil, when you mention powder, to which powder do you refer?

Originally Posted by bushranger

Neil, when you mention powder, to which powder do you refer?

Chrome-, cerium- and tin oxide.

Regards,
Neil

Thank you just clarifying, as I read in another post (in thread) talcum powder on a strop. cheers

Pure talc (magnesium silicate) is the softest mineral on the Mohs hardness scale.

Branded varieties have other additives though - some have an inclusion of iron(III) oxide - jewelers rouge. Jewellers rouge in a fine form (crocus) polishes.

The trouble is, its hard to know what is and isn't in the talc you buy.

Regards,
Neil

As an additional opinion, I find that because of the amount of oil and wax with a new Latigo, that you need to get past this to get to the nice draw. They usually start out a little slick. Hand rubbing every day for a few weeks will work as will a couple of treatments with a small amount of neatsfoot oil followed by hand rubbing. They key is to get past the oil and wax layer. There usually is some leaching associated with both methods which is not a big deal or problem and the little particles you feel can be easily brushed off. I agree with Neil on going with the thinner material as it is certainly more supple.

Have fun,

Lynn

Many old Barbers swear by the lather method. Whip up a nice lather, put some on your strop and with your fingers on TOP and thumb BELOW the strop, start away from you and slide your hand down the strop. This will work the lather into the leather. Repeat until lather is all absorbed.

According to a few Barbers, do this everyday for a couple weeks, and your strop should be nice and supple.

I've been doing it to my new strop I made, and it works wonderfully.

any reason why chrome tanned leather is no good for a strop?