Thread: Vintage Strop Advice

I've washed linen from vintage strops in a bucket of cold water and in the washing machine. I did it more to get lumps out than to clean it. I liked the bucket method with Woolite best. Dried flat on a table overnight and all was well and the lumps were either gone or substantially reduced.

Soap and water and a scrub brush with good old fashioned elbow grease.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I've washed linen from vintage strops in a bucket of cold water and in the washing machine. I did it more to get lumps out than to clean it. I liked the bucket method with Woolite best. Dried flat on a table overnight and all was well and the lumps were either gone or substantially reduced.

Jimmy - used your Woolite method to restore a vintage strop. It worked great. The only part to watch out for is if there is a maker's stamp on the canvas, avoid rubbing it while still wet - you can rub it off.

Thanks for the advice, Im expecting a vintage horsehide/linen strop in the next few days. As for the hide, would you recommend just neatsfoot oil as it is in good condition, or a treatment with tallow based lather also?

I have used JimmyHAD woolite method a few times and always worked well. Yes, do avoid the maker's stamp as it can easily be rubbed off.

For what its worth I had a vintage linen/horsehide strop and used saddle soap to clean the leather. Then I contacted the Pecard company the ones that make leather conditioners and they recommended their Leather dressing for antiques which I used with great results. You can check out their website I think their dressing is better that Neatsfoot oil. Hope this helps.