Illinois 6452 Strop information/restoration
My father, born 1909, left me a razor strop with the following markings: Illinois Razor Strop Co, Chicago, 6452 & at the other end Barbers Special, Genuine Horsehide. Can anyone tell me how old it is, if it has any value (even though I'd never part with it), etc.?
Also it needs some restoration: it has rouge build up on the canvas / what appears to be mold on the leather (very slight) / I found it folded in half and though it is not creased, it does not hang flat / Finally, it looks like one of us got hold of it when we were young & dumb enough to make a few pretty ragged gouges along both edges of the leather. Should I try to smooth these somehow or just leave them alone (they are not nicks, there is leather missing)?
Any suggestions on how to restore it? I don't plan on using it but would like to pass it down some day in the best condition possible.
Thanks in advance for any help that might be offered.
-SLAdams