Thread: Strop hard like plastic

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.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

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,

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.