Thread: Substance for strop maintenance

I would like to know what kind of substance is this dovo tube (yellow tube) used for strop maintenance.

I know its kind of fat, but what exactly?

And the real questions are:
Can I use Seal fat for strop maintenance?
Can I use pure lanoline for strop maintenance?


Thank you very much.

The best things for strop maint. are either the oil from your hand or some neatsfoot oil or some typical conditioner like Bick for instance. I don't know about the others. Lanolin would be a no to me. It would alter the surface too much.

Depends on the person...If you are a str8 razor rocket gynecoligist then you can try one of a hundred types of pastes and oils....If you are old school put neatsfoot oil on it. Keep a newspaper to fine strop it..And a seamless bottle for honing, I like the large soy sauce ones from the far east..they typically are pretty smooth and have long necks to hold onto...Use the bottle instead of a glass hone...Learned that on from my Grampa...

Most of the newer strops on the market need very little maintenance. Many new shavers start rubbing different substances into the fine leather, only to find they changed the draw or the feel. Once it's in, it's usually too late, so take that into consideration. All my newer strops only get rubbed down with my hand. On older vintage strops, that need some TLC, I'll clean those with some Saddle Soap, then re treat with a very, very small amount of neetsfoot oil.

Originally Posted by zib

Most of the newer strops on the market need very little maintenance.

I agree.
In fact, I use the maintenance fat only for my custom made strops.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The best things for strop maint. are either the oil from your hand or some neatsfoot oil or some typical conditioner like Bick for instance. I don't know about the others. Lanolin would be a no to me. It would alter the surface too much.

+1... Lanolin is not a typical fat or oil. It is chemically more like a wax.
If your strop is dry for some reason you can put a fair amount of neatsfoot on the flesh side without altering the draw on the skin side.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The best things for strop maint. are either the oil from your hand or some neatsfoot oil or some typical conditioner like Bick for instance. I don't know about the others. Lanolin would be a no to me. It would alter the surface too much.

Oil from my hand must be a mix of sebum, sweat, salt, and dirt. While sebum is useful the rest of the ingredients are not.

I supposed that pure lanoline could be useful because it is produced from the skin, like sebum, so it must be similar, and being purified by the industry it should be free of salt and dirt.