220 grit wet/dry sandpaper is my new best friend.

[Clockwork John]

Sandpaper has made m shaving life so much easier.

I recently received a used strop from a member here. It had several nicks and surface scratches, to the point where I wasn't comfortable using it. I had some free time and some agression to work out, so I put on some good music and sat down with the strop and some sandpaper. Half an hour later, the nicks are not an issue, and the surface of the strop is now buttery smooth.

Another member here gave me an unused paddle strop, to which I tried (unsucessfully) to apply Chromium Oxide paste. I rubbed so hard trying to work the paste in that I gave myself a blister on the heel of my hand.

I figured I'd give the sandpaper a go here, too, since it worked so well on the hanging strop. After just a few passes with light pressure, the surface of the leather was rough enough that it took the CrO2 paste easily.

I'm so glad someone suggested using sandpaper to resore a strop in another thread. I don't want to think about the amount of work (and the number of blisters) that would have been necessary otherwise.

 

[kopio]

Thanks for the info....I am new to straight shaving, and my strop is getting a few nicks...the sandpaper should do the trick!

 

[Dharion]

[..]
Another member here gave me an unused paddle strop, to which I tried (unsucessfully) to apply Chromium Oxide paste. I rubbed so hard trying to work the paste in that I gave myself a blister on the heel of my hand.

I figured I'd give the sandpaper a go here, too, since it worked so well on the hanging strop. After just a few passes with light pressure, the surface of the leather was rough enough that it took the CrO2 paste easily.[..]

And I thought you were sanding your heel to get rid of the blister

Good tip using sandpaper. If I ever buy a new/old strop I definitely try that.

 

[Clockwork John]

HA HA, I didn't even realise you could interpret what I wrote that way.

 

[obsessis]

are you sanding the smooth side? I'd imagine that it would ruin the grain. are you sanding the back/grainy side? which side are you applying the chromium oxide? what form was it in, a hard green bar? where'd you get it?

 

[gugi]

i never liked sandpaper much. it seems to eat through leather really fast, even the high grits and was leaving uneven surface.
pumice stone works a lot better for me, so that's what i use. it probably has to do with the surface of the stone being flat.