Restore strop made of genuine shell, glossy surface, a bit stiff
Just picked up an old strop on the bay. I offered almost nothing and nobody else wanted it. It was very dirty so I took it apart and carefully went over it went saddle soap and very little water, think slightly moist sponge. Once clean you can read that it is a "Royal Colt, Genuine Shell, $2.00", with a very nice canvas/linen second strop which also cleaned up very well.
The leather looks good and clean now, but the surface is a bit hard hard and glossy. I don't like the way the razor sounds when it slides on it. Not sure about the next step. I have not yet put any neatsfoot oil on, although I am tempted. I have seen references to sanding a glossy strop carefully with some 400 wet to return it to life. When did the saddle soap, I gently used the green pad side of Scotchbrite pads to work up a goey slimy brownish muck, which I wiped off with lots of dry towels. The strop was then allowed to slowly air dry flat in my cool garage for a couple of days.
Before I ruin what looks like a horse shell strop with great potential I wanted consult with the experts here. Any thoughts about the best steps to bring this thing back to its former glory would be appreciated.
Restore strop made of genuine shell, glossy surface, a bit stiff
Quote:
Originally Posted by
ace
I lather mine heavily, let it sit overnight, wipe off the excess then rub it with a moist paper towel to further get rid of the remaining residue. You will find that the razor will pick up some brown stain from the strop, but it can easily be wiped off the blade.
Sorry for what might be a stupid question but what is "Lather"? Is this a specific product or are you talking about the lather from shaving soap/cream?