Thread: lather to condition strop?

Hi all,

First post here. Have been using my straight for a few days now along with a new strop. I applied lather to the strop, wiped it off and then used a glass bottle to run along it.

The strop, instead of having a brand new leather look (i.e. very smooth) is not much more supple and with small bumps where the lather has gone into the strop. There are not dags of leather sticking up, but it is not smooth any more.

Is this ok?

The razor shaves ok. I am only using a 4K/8K Norton and strop with the diamond pastes in the mail ;-) Sometimes passes the HHT and i am not feeling it is sharp enough yet...

So my strop, stuffed or ok?

Hmm...I'm new too, but I thought it you had a new strop you shouldn't need to put anything on it for at least a few months...and it seems like lather wouldn't be the best thing (unless it's some technique I don't know about)...but lather is basically soap, which dries stuff out...neatsfoot oil and strop paste are things normally referred to treat strops...but only every once in awhile. I'm sure someone who knows better will come along and clear it up...

Inquiring minds want to know. Seems I've read in at least one or two places about rubbing "palm grease" and/or lather on a strop.

Shaving creams are mixes of soap (saponified fats) with extra oils added for skin lubrication/hydration/blade buffering. I can see where this might aid in conditioning leather,
but don't know if it's really needed.

I'm really new to this also. Did my first SR shave Saturday, cheeks only.

Following Lynn Abram's advice to go slow, get used to it. I've only been shaving for about 40 years, will be doing this for the next half of my life, I'm sure, so I have time to learn.

That switch to my left hand feels awkward as hell, worse than drumming (jazz drummer hobbyist/wannabe). Almost like one of those science fiction movies where the arm is a transplant
from a convicted murderer and it keeps trying to slit my throat.

Norm

This old lather/soap trick has been around forever. It's an old Barber's technique from many, many years ago. Remember, soap was a lot different then. Some guys still do it and swear by it. YMMV. Neetsfoot oil or Strop Conditioner is better if needed I say if needed, because many of the new strops today need nothing more than a rub of the palm of your oily hand. The natural oils in your skin make for the best conditioning. Now, if your using an old vintage strop, or one that's dried out. I'd recommend a good cleaning with saddle soap then conditioning with the oil. If it's a new strop, like one from SRD or the like, I would use nothing but the natural oils from my hand.

Since you have already used soap on it I am guessing that it has lost some of its natural oils. find a natural leather conditioner(neats foot oil) and apply as needed until the leather regains its natural suppleness. IMO there should be no reason to clean a new strop.

once you give the strop back its oil (by putting neats foot oil on it) then just take and rub ur hands on it once in a while and you will be fine. the natural oild in ur hand will keep it in good shape for many years to come.