Kanayama Strop Care

[Jnatcat]

My question for members, As a matter of storing brand new Kanayama strops. I have a #70000 for everyday use, and I have 3 others (#80,#70, #10) that I acquired as well. When they arrive new, they are in plastic, inside a long cardboard box, kept perfectly flat. Now that I have them here, what is the best way to safely store them, possibly for a year or more. (I have son's who are adult and I am trying to convert them to Str8ts). Are they OK just left in the box, or should they be hung? Do I need to remove the loose plastic sheath they come in? I have of course read Takeshi's instructs re cleaning etc, but I want to store the 3 strops, until they are given a new owner.

I would say it's ok to store the way they are but I am no expert on long term leather storage.

 

[Bobski]

As far as cleaning the Kanayama goes, how frequently do most do it. I've used the same one for 4 months and stilllooks and acts like new. As far as putting oils on them, the maker says don't put anything oily on them, just a palm rub every now and again.

 

[Steve56]

About once a year for me and I hone a lot. I scrub it down with a damp micrfiber cloth.

Cheers, Steve

 

[Lmarkow]

I don't clean my strops. There's a bunch hanging there, and I don't hone much, so the k3 doesn't get heavy use, but it has never been "cleaned."

 

[Bobski]

I mentioned I have a son who has now become interested in straight razor shaving. I started him on a cheap 3 Inch strop and a Geissen &Forsthoff 6/8. He tells me a month or so later that he has got stropping down right. I promised him a new razor and a Kanayama strop if he got things right (no nicks in the strop) He has looked them up on Aframestokyo website and has convinced me that he is ready. So this coming weekend I have a #50000 with suede piece for him, brand new. I'd had a suede piece put away for just this type of thing. So my Kanayama collection is now only at 3. My every day strop is a lovely #70000, and I have a spare #70000 as well as an #80000. That's normal isn't it, doesn't everyone have this type of collection?

 

[Jnatcat]

I mentioned I have a son who has now become interested in straight razor shaving. I started him on a cheap 3 Inch strop and a Geissen &Forsthoff 6/8. He tells me a month or so later that he has got stropping down right. I promised him a new razor and a Kanayama strop if he got things right (no nicks in the strop) He has looked them up on Aframestokyo website and has convinced me that he is ready. So this coming weekend I have a #50000 with suede piece for him, brand new. I'd had a suede piece put away for just this type of thing. So my Kanayama collection is now only at 3. My every day strop is a lovely #70000, and I have a spare #70000 as well as an #80000. That's normal isn't it, doesn't everyone have this type of collection?

Very nice gift !!!

 

[A Cut Above]

I know this will sound strange, but Mastro Livi recommends taking rolled up toilet paper and adding lighter fluid. Rub lightly one way until the black residue is gone. The lighter fluid evaporates quickly with no effect on the leather. I don't like using water on leather. Never did any good on my shoes.

 

[Jnatcat]

I know this will sound strange, but Mastro Livi recommends taking rolled up toilet paper and adding lighter fluid. Rub lightly one way until the black residue is gone. The lighter fluid evaporates quickly with no effect on the leather. I don't like using water on leather. Never did any good on my shoes.

I have seen this vid where he does this but more than likely would not do this to my Kanayama 70, I have used a damp cotton cloth from time to time to wipe it clean and it's suffered no ill affects.

 

[Steve56]

You can certainly wash a strop, I have several times with eBay specials to get rid of who-knows-what that was put on them. Iwasaki describes cleaning strops in his paper 'Honing Razors and Wakamisori'. He recommended that if you'd washed it that it be dried between two flat boards to keep the strop flat, which I did. no problems.

Cheers, Steve

 

[Jnatcat]

You can certainly wash a strop, I have several times with eBay specials to get rid of who-knows-what that was put on them. Iwasaki describes cleaning strops in his paper 'Honing Razors and Wakamisori'. He recommended that if you'd washed it that it be dried between two flat boards to keep the strop flat, which I did. no problems.

Cheers, Steve

Steve,

What do you consider a "Washing" i am curious on this process.

 

[Steve56]

William,

Soap and water. PM me an email address and I'll send you a link, I think the site contains a blog so linking to it is not permitted. But if you Google the title of Iwasaki-San's paper it will be the first couple of hits. There's a section on strop maintenance. I've tried most of it and it works but not soaking in gasoline!

Cheers, Steve

 

[Jnatcat]

William,

Soap and water. PM me an email address and I'll send you a link, I think the site contains a blog so linking to it is not permitted. But if you Google the title of Iwasaki-San's paper it will be the first couple of hits. There's a section on strop maintenance. I've tried most of it and it works but not soaking in gasoline!

Cheers, Steve

PM sent, thank you Sir !!

 

[Steve56]

You're most welcome.

Cheers, Steve

 

[Royce]

A damp micro-fiber cloth works just fine. No reason to over think it considering what you own is close to one of his last.

 

[Doc226]

Here are the strop care instructions on a frames tokyo's website

*************Cleaning and maintenance Kanoyama Cordovan Razor Strop:

What we should do is to use clean cotton towel soaking in lukewarm water, and it should be not too much wet, but not too dry the towel. And then, we wipe the strop the front side of the strop until little before the lukewarm water going through all the way to the back side, and then it makes dry naturally. That is the way what we make the strop making shinny and smoother. According to Mr. Naomi, we should not apply on any oil on Cordovan strop. The oil collects dust, and it makes losing smoothness on the Cordovan strop, and it makes not as the finishing quality strop anymore. ****************

******PLEASE DO NOT USE THE CANVAS STROP WITHOUT ANY TREAT TO BE SOFTER******

The new canvas strop is very tough and hard cloth, so it might get damage to your razor blade. If you do not have time to do below processes, please take off the canvas strop from leather strop, and wash it in washing machine with softner at least several times like new jeans. The new canvas strop will be softer and it is forgiven the lapping of razor blade.

###################################################################################

=====How To Make Softer Canvas Strop=====

It is kind of hard work, but if you will try to do it, please do like below:

Put on body soap (solid one), and wash it away

Put on the canvas strop on the wood board, and pounding with wooden hammer on the round portion of the wood hammer side to kill the tough fibers.

Washing by brush

Rubbing solid body soap

Washing by brush

Wrapping by Nagura to polish the surface of the canvas strop

Washing by washing machine

Drying at shade a couple days

Putting on body soap by brush

Wrapping by beer bottle strongly

Please do the all above processes three times

 

[Lmarkow]

My kanoyama linen has turned "inert." It is like stropping on a slick piece of plastic, when I am correctly on the bevel. But despite being so smooth, it simply rips through the shaving gunk left on the bevel from my shave. Only the firehose cleans more (e.g., higher up past the bevel).

 

[C FrankC]

Here are the strop care instructions on a frames tokyo's website

*************Cleaning and maintenance Kanoyama Cordovan Razor Strop:

What we should do is to use clean cotton towel soaking in lukewarm water, and it should be not too much wet, but not too dry the towel. And then, we wipe the strop the front side of the strop until little before the lukewarm water going through all the way to the back side, and then it makes dry naturally. That is the way what we make the strop making shinny and smoother. According to Mr. Naomi, we should not apply on any oil on Cordovan strop. The oil collects dust, and it makes losing smoothness on the Cordovan strop, and it makes not as the finishing quality strop anymore. ****************

******PLEASE DO NOT USE THE CANVAS STROP WITHOUT ANY TREAT TO BE SOFTER******



###################################################################################

=====How To Make Softer Canvas Strop=====

It is kind of hard work, but if you will try to do it, please do like below:

Put on body soap (solid one), and wash it away

Put on the canvas strop on the wood board, and pounding with wooden hammer on the round portion of the wood hammer side to kill the tough fibers.

Washing by brush

Rubbing solid body soap

Washing by brush

Wrapping by Nagura to polish the surface of the canvas strop

Washing by washing machine

Drying at shade a couple days

Putting on body soap by brush

Wrapping by beer bottle strongly


Has anybody here done this process to the Kanayama cloth second component?
If so what was the result?



Please do the all above processes three times

 

[C FrankC]

Just finished following the directions above for the Kanayama canvas and it's tuned out just fine. Strop went from stiff to very limber and from rough to very soft. The only ill effect was it lost about one inch in length to shrinkage.

 

[Lmarkow]

The only ill effect was it lost about one inch in length to shrinkage.

Watch your fingers! That kinda sucks. Perhaps it will stretch back with use.

 

[C FrankC]

I don't think it will so I will just make a longer bottom tab to even the components out and sew it on.