Antique Torrey Paddle Strop

[nortac]

Yesterday I picked up an antique Torrey Paddle strop. It has various types of leather on three sides. The fourth side seems to have a painted surface that is mostly worn away to the underlying wood. Directions on the cardboard sleeve state "using the hone only when the razor is very dull''.... and to "place strop in case hone side up". The cardboard sleeve fits the strop very snugly. There is no room for any missing hone. Could the "painted side" have been an abrasive paint used as a honing surface? In the picture, the painted/hone side is up.

 

[nortac]

Unfortunately, the cell phone pic doesn't show much detail of the strop surface in question, but the "hone" surface was a black paint and has been rubbed off by actions other than just taking it in and out of the case, general handling, etc. The wood underneath is red painted or stained, lending credence to the possibility that the black coating was an abrasive surface and not just a paint to coat the wood.

 

[Kentos]

I guess the previous owner had really dull razors? Is there no paint left at all? Maybe you can resurface it with a thin piece of balsa. I read Ken123 is coming out with some abrasive sprays over 1 micron that you could spray on the balsa for some extra oomph when you need it.

 

[danjared]

Does the box say anything else? I know that these Torrey paddle strops often had hones on them.

 

[nortac]

Kentos, there is some paint on the surface in question. But as stated, the cardboard sleeve is very snug and would not allow even the thinnest of balsa to be applied and still fit in the "case". The remaining paint is worn smooth and has no significant abrasive property that I can detect. I'm not looking so much to restore the strop, just curious as to how it was used. It will remain a display piece. I have other balsa for use with pastes, etc.
Danjared, no, the box offers no further info except to use the brown leather first, then the black and finish on the plain leather last. The brown and black leather are thick padded surfaces, where as the "plain leather" is a very thin leather strip glued to the wood and therefore a firmer surface than the brown and black leather.

 

[kirk 988]

thats a sweet strop