Quote Originally Posted by Utopian View Post
I would assume that it would be fine, but I would strongly recommend not applying it anyway. Latigo is impregnated with oils that should make it unnecessary for years. If you simply rub the strop with the palm of your hand, then you will transfer all of the oil the strop should ever need.

If you persist in your desire to oil it, then understand this. Almost everyone who oils their strop for the first time ends up overdoing it. This tends to lead to patchy spots that have more oil than other regions, and it also ends up producing too much draw. If you want to avoid this, you need to do two things.

First, don't apply the oil directly to the strop but instead put a small amount of it on your hand, rub it between your hands, and then use a towel to hold the strop with one oiled hand and rub your other hand on the strop to uniformly distribute oil. Then rub the strop with your other hand.

Second, that application should only occur on the BACK of the strop--the surface on which you do NOT strop. It is better to do a few applications over the course of a few weeks rather than to overdo one application. The reason for applying to the back of the strop is that the oil will be absorbed in and will spread within the leather but it will not negatively affect the stropping surface.
Great tips! I just picked up a vintage shell strop, and will be going through this soon. Like you said, I would rather take my time and do it correctly. Just one question: When doing this, how long should I wait before deciding on another application?