Gentlemen,
I experienced a major brainfart about 3 weeks back which cost me a new strop, possibly unnecessarily. I was on day 3 or 4 of my last bout of insomnia, it was roughly 0300 and I was touching up my straight razors. They were in need of stropping and one of them was in need of a trip over the CrOx strop so I saved it for last.
My normal routine when CrOxing is to do a thorough cleaning with alcohol and cotton balls to ensure there is no possible chance for contaminating my web or leather strop. I don't advise about what to use for cleaning the baldes and I'm sure some of you will tell me that water would do just fine but that's not the issue here.
Remember me telling you I had been without sleep several days? Well it must have finally began effecting my ability to think clearly or to remember because I went through web and leather stropping without cleaning the balde. I wiped both strops with a dry piece of toilet paper to check and sure enough I picked up green from both strops!
I have also put a couple of minor nicks in the leather strop I would like advise on how to repair.
My plan for the web strop was warm soap and water. I was thinking about saddle soap for the leather but after thinking about it that might be overkill. I will disassemble the strop to make cleaning easier unless I get good advice to the contrary.
All right gentlemen, without the wise cracks until after the advise if you please, How do I
1. Clean CrOx from a web and Leather strop?
2. Repair minor nicks in a leather strop?
Thank you all and I look forward to the serious suggestions. I have no doubt I'll get some laughs from the less than serious ones as well. I am one of those who can take it as well as dish it out. However, I do not have a habit of dishing it out.