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Hi,
I bought a strop on ebay. The only marking I can make out is 165A. The rest of the marking are not readable. It has a plastic feel to it. Tapping your nail on it sounds like tapping plastic, I high pitch tink tink. Also, I only ran a razor on it a few passes and it is very slick like glass with no draw.
So I'm wonting is this to far gone to use? Can it be sanded or something to remove the plastic like finish?
It is not like shell finish. I have a shell. This is slicker and harder.
- Mike
A picture might help. Some strops are stiff but of course everything is relative so without seeing and/or feeling it it's hard to advise you.
Hi,
I'll get some pictures to post. I has no texture to it. It looks like black leather. I'll post something tonight.
- Mike
Does the seller offer return privileges ? If it turns out to be a bogus strop you should be able to get your money back.
Hi,
It was a lot of 3 strops. 2 hanging strops and 1 clamp strop or mandolin strop. 1 out of the 3 looks and works good. It is a Bresduck Russian strop. It was only $13 with shipping, so not much to complain about. I was just hoping to salvage this hanging strop with the hard finish. See attached photos, Though I dont' think they will help much.
-Mike
If the strop is stiff & dry you could try some neatsfoot oil but just because it is slick & has no draw doesn't mean it won't work.
You could also give the lather & rubbing with a bottle trick. I've never done it myself but old barbers seem to have swore by it. Check out the post by honedright in this archived thread here . The post by honedright with instructions is here but the whole thread has some really good strop info in it.
Hi,Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyHAD
Thanks, I'm reading it now.
Mike
Hi,
I'm going to try it on this strop and see how it goes. I have a puck of williams and I'm not afraid to use it. :)
Thanks,
Mike
Certainly it was at one time a high quality strop. The issue would be how it got the way it is now. I would try some quality leather cleaner and then conditioner or oil and the bottle or rolling pin routine. If nothing else you could always go the nuclear route and soak it in water and allow it to dry slowly by itself but that's last resort.
This is a nice strop. I would recommend saddle soaping it and then rubbing in Neatsfoot Oil. Work it in like you would on a ball glove. Keep working it in until you get it less then stiff. If you run it over a bottle when it is very stiff you run the risk of cracking it. Russian strops are often very rough as they were made from split leather. Good luck
Hi,Quote:
Originally Posted by Kenrup
I figured a take a light touch to it and not rush it. I think I spend some time with it to see if it can be persuaded act like a strop again. :)
Mike
Hi,
I did not do the the lather and glass bottle treatment. I did slather with Neatsfoot oil. I'd wipe it on it would suck it up. I did that for a few minutes while it drank in the oil. I let stand for a few a hours on its own. Then I a took a used piece of 400 grit sand paper to it. While this did not remove the hard finish it did make draw more like a shell strop strop. I'm guessing this was a shell strop to begin with and lack of care and age got to it. It seems to be a working strop now. The draw is slicker than I like but it does work.
- Mike
ok that strop you have there is a vintage russia shell strop 165A