Thread: Washing Linen strops

A Medal of Award 814 just arrived today. The strop is in a 'like new' condition. If it was used, it was very limited. There does however seem to be some kind of white treatment on the strop. Since I have NO idea what it is, I'd like to wash it out. There are also a few rounded creases in the linen. I figure once it's wet i'll lay it flat with some of my stones on it to keep it straight, then let it hang for the remainder of the drying process.

Any tips/tricks would be greatly appreciated!

Well I would like to hear what folks have to say as mine is getting rather uh, metallic, and could use a wash as well.

Dovo makes a "white paste" specifically for linen. I use it, and rather like it for no reason in particular. That might be what's on yours.

The White treatment is a plus, the creases are a minus I would not wash the white paste/chalk off there yet, I would lightly spray the strop with water and place the stones/weights as you planned and get it flat and try it first...

That old linen dressing is normally a good thing, a pic would help though as I am flying blind here

Edit: to answer David too a stiff nylon scrub brush, powdered Laundry soap, warm water, bottom of the utility sink and elbow grease does wonders

Re-dressing with plain old Chalk and Hairspray was what I learned before I ever saw White Paste

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Re-dressing with plain old Chalk and Hairspray was what I learned before I ever saw White Paste

Hairspray!! You ARE an 80's child LOL!! Just joking . That's a good idea. And thanks for the help Glen!

I'll take pics in the AM and do my best to try to get the 'white' treatment to show. I couldn't resist using the strop tonight, i rolled it around and tugged real tight and the bends went away for the purpose of using it.
I refinished my 7/8 friodur on the Purple Whig, 20 laps on the linen, 50 on the scotch shell. Before this strop I was using a vintage pigskin strop that I refinished to a usable state that DID improve the cutting edge.
I couldn't resist shaving tonight.... Surprisingly, not sure if it was the strop or the extra laps on my finisher, it was my best shave to date.
Keep in mind that this was my 2nd shave of the day (did a 2 pass with my wostenholm conqueror this morning). I braced myself for a terribly irritating shave but was very very pleasantly surprised!

Like glenn says, it is a chalk paste. The use of such a paste was two-fold - it filled in the rather coarse weave and was also slightly abrasive. Old barbers used to rub soap into the weave to achieve the first object - filling in the voids.

Washing out the paste - if you absolutely have to - is a bit of an undertaking, as detailed above, but if you have a canvas/linen/cotton component that is just dirty a simpler and less 'wet' and labour intesnsive way of doing it is by spraying some of that carpet cleaner foam on it that you let dry and vacuum off.

Regards,
Neil

Found that with my linen strop just plan chalk worked. Rubbed it in dry and it stays put. Used a blue tinted one so I could tell when I needed to rechalk.

I agree with Glen and Neil, the white paste is a good thing so don't remove it just clean it.
Some times that white paste is a mix of soap & chalk/talc and can be scrubbed/washed out but sometimes it is a wax & chalk/talc that cannot be removed by simple soap & water. I have a few of those and even a stint in the washing machine is inadequate.

If you do end up using a brush, soap & water to clean it up then follow that with a resoaping with a hard soap then rub/bottle that in, then rub on a bit of chalk & be sure to bottle that to break up any large chalk particles.

Just my $.02,

Pics are here. Tried my best to display this treatment and the minor dirt on the linen that I was hoping to clean!


As you can see, the strop isn't terribly dirty but don't want to run the risk of damaging an edge that i like!
$30 with shipping from ebay and I finally have a quality strop!

Oh, the beer is Mill Street Brewery Organic Lager from Toronto, Canada, and the website open is SRP