Thread: What are you working on?

This Robeson Shuredge has a black hammered tang...

And this M. Jung No. 80 has the blue all the way up the tang and around the toe.


Both of which I picked up NOS.

Going back to this post...

Originally Posted by Montgomery

I acquired a Biber strop. The leather is good, and there are a few nicks, but not in a critical position. There is a stain which needs further appraisal, but the big issue is that unfortunately it has been folded, and there are creases in the leather in the middle of the strop.

Attachment 312252 Attachment 312253

Can anything be done? I am thinking:
-trying pressing the leather, possibly wetting it first
-if that doesn't work, lightly sanding the folded section of the strop

The strop was a few euros, so there is nothing to lose, and I don't mind being a bit experimental.

All ideas welcome. Many thanks!

... and this very useful 'Strop 101' from @Euclid440...

Originally Posted by Euclid440

There are several posts on hydrating a leather strop, basically wet the strop with a damp sponge on both sides, wait 15 minutes for the water to absorb.

Then apply about a half to a teaspoon of Neetsfoot oil or Ballistol to the strop in 3 or 4 places, one in the middle, one near each end, quickly rub into the strop. Do not use more than ½ a teaspoon total, just a few drops on each spot.

I use a 2oz. plastic spray bottle, it delivers less than a ¼ oz of Ballistol per shot.

Flip the strop, re-wet the back side and apply ½ teaspoon to the back.

It is ok if it does not cover the leather completely. It will spread out in a couple days. The water will drive the oil deep into the strop. The hard part is to wait for 5-7 days before applying more oil, longer is better.

If you add too much oil too quickly, it will not absorb deep into the leather and can rot the strop.

After several applications, over several weeks the strop should be hydrated enough to become pliable.

Pick up a rolling pin from a thrift or dollar store, suspend the pin from the handles and roll the strop on the pin, bending the strop over the rolling pin slightly and slowly. If you feel the leather cracking, stop and add another cycle of water and oil.

Eventually the leather will become soft and floppy without breaking the leather fibers. The goal is a soft flexible leather strop that will polish the bevel and edge of a razor. Rolling will loosen the fibers and make the strop soft and flat. It will also remove the stretch marks from folding, depending on how much damage was done to the fibers.

It has taken many years for your stiff strop to get to the condition it is in now and can take weeks or months to bring it back.

Here is a post showing how to make a Flax Firehose strop, I use the same technique of rolling the flax to loosen the fibers of a board stiff cleaned flax strop, photos on post 56.

...

...here is where we are up to:



I admit, it is not looking good... I fear the fault is partially or entirely mine, I started the hydrating process with what I had, which was dubbin, and I think this coated the strop and made it appear better than it was. I then started working the strop, and I think the dubbin again masked the cracking. Lesson learned...

For the past couple of months, I've been dampening the strop and applying neatsfoot periodically, and it now seems to be pretty flexible, though with the battle scars acquired on the way.

The question at this point is, to what extent can this be salvaged? I know I can sand the cracks to some extent, am I looking at a strop only good for penknifes? Only good for pasting? Or is the door to an ok strop still a tiny touch open?

Many thanks!

Took a couple days to myself, and cleaned up a Wade & Butcher that's been sitting in the tadoo drawer.




Just a quicky on this one. Separating the scales, sand and CA the delamination spots, polish the scales, clean the blade w/ 3M, clean and polish the original, steel collars, pinned with brass rod.

Honed, and awaiting the shave for this evening.

Originally Posted by 32t

But if you don't open your mouth how will they realize that you are not a fool?

If the worm is too small......

I have one exactly like that which has a rust line across the etching. I need a good straight on close up picture I can use to try to make a resist from. Since it is already ruined I figured this would be a good place to try the acid etching. My plan is to make a 7 day set with the days etched in the spine but I need a razor to try it on first that I'm not so worried about making mistakes on.

Originally Posted by PaulFLUS

I have one exactly like that which has a rust line across the etching. I need a good straight on close up picture I can use to try to make a resist from. Since it is already ruined I figured this would be a good place to try the acid etching. My plan is to make a 7 day set with the days etched in the spine but I need a razor to try it on first that I'm not so worried about making mistakes on.

About as good as I can get.

I appreciate that. You've been very helpful.

The etching on that W&B is crisp!

Okay so that was a corny joke.
I happened to look in my junk mail & that's where all my emails from here have been going. The first one I saw was a few pages back where I saw something about scripture or something but there's a lot more in my junk. I don't get it because I didn't put any in my junk folder. I need to see if I can fix that.
I felt good enough to work on an '82 Harley FXRS I have and hone a couple razors. Hope you guys are doing well, at least better than me.

Originally Posted by Montgomery

Going back to this post...



... and this very useful 'Strop 101' from @Euclid440...



...here is where we are up to:



I admit, it is not looking good... I fear the fault is partially or entirely mine, I started the hydrating process with what I had, which was dubbin, and I think this coated the strop and made it appear better than it was. I then started working the strop, and I think the dubbin again masked the cracking. Lesson learned...

For the past couple of months, I've been dampening the strop and applying neatsfoot periodically, and it now seems to be pretty flexible, though with the battle scars acquired on the way.

The question at this point is, to what extent can this be salvaged? I know I can sand the cracks to some extent, am I looking at a strop only good for penknifes? Only good for pasting? Or is the door to an ok strop still a tiny touch open?

Many thanks!

Are you overstretching it, Mike?