I recently nicked the lower end of the leather side of the strop, but it is hanging a bit like a flap on one corner. Is it possible to glue it back down, or should I simply cut it off so it does not spread, and then avoid using that area of e strop?
Printable View
I recently nicked the lower end of the leather side of the strop, but it is hanging a bit like a flap on one corner. Is it possible to glue it back down, or should I simply cut it off so it does not spread, and then avoid using that area of e strop?
Read this article... strop repair at the bottom
Strop treatment and repair - Straight Razor Place Wiki
I've done this before, and had great success fixing them. I don't agree 100% with the WIKI, especially the pumice stone, that's going to sand your strop. Clamping is going to leave marks in your strop. Believe me, that's last resort stuff. If done correctly, you shouldn't have any high spots. I wouldn't cut it off if I didn't have too. I used crazy glue, or you can use two part epoxy. Rubber cement works too. I like that as well. If using rubber cement or two part epoxy, you will need to apply it with a toothpick.
Your choice. The two part epoxy is easier to work with. If done properly you can't even see the repair. You need to test the flow rate of the crazy glue. A new tube works best, make as small a hole as possible, using a pin or something. Squeeze the tube onto something else so you can see exactly what's going to come out. You need steady hands.
When you apply the glue to spot that's bare, it's going to expand about 4x or so. So, less is more in this case. If you use too much, it'll get all over your strop, you don't want that. A small drop is all you need. Test first....I can't stress that enough... You can use a toothpick as an applicator, put a drop of glue on a paper plate, then apply a small amount with your toothpick to the bare spot and flap as well, quickly. Use a jar or something to roll the flap back down. Make sure there's no oozing...Once it's glued, you can roll the jar over it a few times to make sure you got even distribution.
Here's the paddle I repaired. The spot is about half way down, near the right, looks like a w. After it sets up, give it a few days, start working it with your hands. That seems to help....
Rich
The nick is barely visible to the eye! It looks great. Thanks for the advice, I'll fix it in the next few weeks.
Another type of glue for leather is Barge Cement or Pliobond it will hold the pieces together and still give you some flexibility.
Zib
I tried your method and it worked like a charm. Thank you.