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Ballistol & Horse Hide experiment
Has anyone ever used Ballistol on a leather strop? I ask, because I did the other day, on a piece of Horse Hide with amazing results.
Yesterday, I had selected a vintage “Fine Edge”, one of my favorite razors to shave with. I had not shaved with it for over a month. I stropped 10 laps on SRD Herringbone Linen, then 4 laps on a MAAS paddle strop and 20 on the MAAS Buffing paddle. 50 laps on a 2 inch nylon strop and 50 laps on the Ballistol conditioned “Horse Butt” strop laying flat on the bench.
I lathered up and shaved with the razor WTG, the first pass was very smooth and comfortable. I normally do 2 passes WTG with a thick lather then one pass ATG with lather and clean up with just water.
I lathered up again and made the second pass. At the end of the second pass it looked like I had been shot with bird shot, with weepers all over my face. What was odd was both passes were very comfortable and smooth and I felt no nicks or cuts, the razor was that sharp.
The only thing I did differently from my normal stropping routine was to finish on the Ballisto conditioned Horse Butt strop, which produced an amazingly sharp and smooth edge.
I had purchased the Ballistol based on a thread some months ago on oiling blades with gun oils. No one carried it locally, but one gun shop said he carried it once and would see if he could reorder it. Last week I was in the shop and he finally got some in.
When I got it home I read the label that stated it was an excellent leather conditioner. I tried it on a scrap piece of leather and it did condition the leather well and left it a nice Carmel color. The color I had been trying to achieve on another strop I had made.
Ballistol is a mineral oil based product but has the viscosity of water, thinner that plain mineral oil but does have a strong petroleum odor.
I had purchase this piece of Horst Hide, labeled “Horse Butt” a year or two ago from a woodworking site, I think. I don’t recall which one. At the time, I was not impressed with the draw of the strop or the finish it left on the razors. It seemed dry and very slick. So I hung it on the wall and it has pretty much hung there since.
The horsehide sucked up Ballistol like a “Sham Wow” and the strong smell did go away after a couple of days. It absorbed instantly into the leather, and within a day or two the color evened out. I applied it with a one inch paint brush, painting it on fairly liberally, waited a couple of day, re-coated it the same way and waited another couple of day. It does have a much better draw now, but not as much as neetsfoot on a cowhide strop.
Now I have experienced the same Weeper producing effect using the MAAS Foam Paddle but only after doing 20 plus laps on the MAAS paddle.
The more I experiment with pastes, the more I believe there is a definitely a synergy with paste, nylon strops and leather, in this case horse hide for the final finish and it is a matter of finding the right combination.
I’m going to have to attach some D rings to the Horse Butt and try some other razors on it.
The Black Latigo strop in the photos is one I included to show the change in color on Cowhide on the D ring holders. The D Ring holders have been treated with 2 coats of Ballistol. The Scalloped Holder is untreated. It is a prototype of a couple of Latigo strops I am making from a scrap I acquired. I will get 2 full size strops and this one out of it.
Ballistol & Horse Hide, maybe a good combo.
Marty