Thread: newbie needs cleaning advice

Not sure where to post this. I am new to the straights but I got couple rolls razors from local antique mall. Would like to know what I can put on the strop part to clean them up? Thanks.

Whats wrong with the strop part...And what is the strop part made of? I only ask because there have been cases of either sellers not knowing a substitute had be put in instead of the original leather or sellers being fully aware of a substitute strop section, but selling it as original anyway.


I still need to get myself one of those. The one I was looking at has probably washed away... I should have bought it to save it from that fate. Ah well, Ce sera sera.


Mick

From what I have read on the internet, the strop portion of the Rolls Razor was originally treated with a proprietary mix of refined lard, petroleium jelly and finely-ground rouge. How true this is I cannot say.

I have a Rolls Razor and its strop was missing. I replaced it that with an appropriate piece of leather and have treated same with the Thiers-Issard white stropping paste. Yes, I know this is not quite the same, but it does seem to serve the purpose well enough.

However, to come back to your question, I think that a close approximation to the original would be a small tube of the red Dovo stropping paste. Unless I miss my guess, this is also based on rouge and would impart similar polishing qualities to the strop of your Rolls Razor. What the Dovo red mix will not do is nourish the leather. However, also buy a tube of the Dovo yellow leather dressing which you can use to condition the leather.

Originally Posted by MickR

Whats wrong with the strop part...And what is the strop part made of? I only ask because there have been cases of either sellers not knowing a substitute had be put in instead of the original leather or sellers being fully aware of a substitute strop section, but selling it as original anyway.


I still need to get myself one of those. The one I was looking at has probably washed away... I should have bought it to save it from that fate. Ah well, Ce sera sera.


Mick

bloody hell mick, you posting about a rolls razor just made me remember!
'shoulda bloody reminded me

Never push a man into doing something he may have mis-givings about, mate. I thought you may have changed your mind. I wasn't holding you to it .
I still hope those other ones are safe in that shop. It sits on high ground, but just 50 metres from the source of the Toowoomba flood of recent times. When the roads re-open, I'm going to have to have a look to settle my soul.



Mick

I just mainly wanted to clean it up and the leather seems really dry. There is some flaking where it pushes to the edge to store but the main part is good. Thanks.