Thread: Contaminated strop

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.

I'm not a strop restoration expert, but here's what I'd do:

Wipe your strop with a *slightly* damp washcloth or shop rag. (A clean one, of course.) Repeat until you don't see any green. Let dry, then strop as usual.

With the nicks, it really depends on the size of the nick, but the goal is to take care of anything that sticks out. If there's a larger piece, like a flap, see this. If it's more like a scratch, you can generally ignore it if you don't feel it when stropping.

Originally Posted by northpaw

Wipe your strop with a *slightly* damp washcloth or shop rag. (A clean one, of course.) Repeat until you don't see any green. Let dry, then strop as usual..

Does that go for both the web and leather strops? Thanks

When I finished wood furniture, I would use a tack cloth (sold in hardware stores). It doesn't leave a residue and picks the finest of dust.
Had a very small nick one time on my latigo. I just cut it and sanded the area with 200 grit, condition after, with tallow based lather and it's fine now. Good luck, and get some sleep! Double O

Originally Posted by Double0757

When I finished wood furniture, I would use a tack cloth (sold in hardware stores). It doesn't leave a residue and picks the finest of dust.
Had a very small nick one time on my latigo. I just cut it and sanded the area with 200 grit, condition after, with tallow based lather and it's fine now. Good luck, and get some sleep! Double O

If I understand you correctly, you worked Tallow-based shaving soap into the strop after removing the nick and sanding the area with 200 grit sand paper? I'm familiar with tack cloth, Does the 200 grit leave the leather smooth enough or did you have to go back with anything finer?
When stropping I don't feel the nicks but that doesn't mean anything to the razor's edge.

Originally Posted by OldSoldier

Does that go for both the web and leather strops? Thanks

That's what I'd do, although the tack cloth mentioned above sounds promising.

EDIT: If you choose to sand nicked areas, don't go crazy with it. Do you know what kind of leather it is?

Originally Posted by OldSoldier

If I understand you correctly, you worked Tallow-based shaving soap into the strop after removing the nick and sanding the area with 200 grit sand paper? I'm familiar with tack cloth, Does the 200 grit leave the leather smooth enough or did you have to go back with anything finer?
When stropping I don't feel the nicks but that doesn't mean anything to the razor's edge.

No, I build the lather as shaving, apply it, leave it for 10 min. and wiped off. Very light sanding on the area of the nick, 200 I felt it left it fine, 400 grit after, would be fine also IMO. Double O

Doubt you will ever be able to remove all the Chrome Ox out of the leather. I have use WD40 to remove Chrome Ox from old pasted Loom Strops, and it will remove the Chrome Ox easily but will not get it out of the pores. If you put WD40 on it, any good conditioner will revive the drying of the solvent. Sanding will remove the surface, but then you have a new and different strop. If you chose to sand use a diamond plate, sandpaper will imbed grit in the leather and you now have a different problem.

If you nicked a nylon strop I’d say you are a talented stropper. It is normally almost impossible to cut a nylon strop… unless you got talent. For that reason nylon is great to learn on because it is so tough and the edge will be about the same as leather. As you stropping improves… and you stop slashing strops, then leather will improve an edge.

Trim the nylon it with a scissors or razorblade and use it until it needs replacing, replacement nylons are not all that expensive and the old one will make a great pasted strop. Put some polish on it, Maas or Flitz, actually almost any fine polish will work. You will be amazed at what it can do for a bevel and edge.

Hey oldsoldier, did you ever fix the contaminated strop? I just did half a stroke on my canguro leather, with .100 CNB before realizing that I didn't rinse the razor. I just stop, rinse the straight and then palm rub the strop. Going to use tack cloth tomorrow on it. Just remember you had done this with CrOx. Want to know what you end up doing and how did it worked for you. Double O

Grab some saddle soap, used for... well washing saddles on horses, give your strop a good wash with the stuff, take some 600 grit sand paper, sand the entirety of the stropping surface, progress up to 1500 or 2k, depending on the feel you enjoy. Apply neatsfood oil as needed. Voila!

The 3m stuff that is listed as a granite abrasive works really well. That or a micromesh leave very little behind.

Of course, take some time between steps and monitor for any reminents of crox.

Hope that helps.