Bearskin Strop

[Woodsrunner79]

Hi, I'm Jordan. New to the site and to straight razor shaving in general. My wife's Grandmother gave me Joseph Rogers razor, Strop and honing stone that belonged to HER Grandfather. He was in Vaudeville. My first (of many, I'm sure) question is about the strop that came with it. It's stamped "Genuine Bear Skin" on one side, is of thin but tough hide and smooth as polished stone. What should I treat it with, if anything to keep it in usable condition?

Cheers, Jordan

 

[stone and strop]

Hi Jordon, any photos?

 

[Woodsrunner79]

Strop in question is on the Right. Sjorter of the two.

 

[stone and strop]

The back of that one looks like Boar, not Bear.
I would start with a good cleaning. Saddle soap or tallow soap lather rubbed in good and wiped clean then let to dry.
Once dry, if it is very dry, start with small amounts of Neatsfoot oil. Less is more.
Rub into your hands then rub continually on the surface.
Repeat on the back and let sit for a day or two.
Rubbing back and forth with the hand regularly for that time.
If its still dry after that, repeat. Wait.
Two much oil is very bad. Give it time to soak in.

 

[Woodsrunner79]

10-4. It's not brittle or dry feeling. I'll saddle soap it and I've got some Pecards leather dressing. Would that do, or does it have to be neatsfoot oil?

 

[xuzxuz]

I'll deposit my 2 cents into the jar.

Nick Repair

Of course I nicked my strop. Kinda minor. No flap to surgically remove. I sanded it down with fine sand paper. I rubbed the area with a fine honing stone. Massaged oil onto the whole strop. It’s totally smooth now and not super noticeable. But. Now there’s a “slow” spot where the repair is. I...

www.badgerandblade.com

I'm weary of using oil because it increases drag, and IMHO uncontrollably.
I wanted to repair an old latigo strop and added a bit of oil and it created a sticky spot.
Every time I stropped past a region with bit of oil, I could feel it drag and it drove me nuts.
Stropping is about getting in the "zone" and you are relentlessly thrown off it when you hit that oil spot.
I ended up cutting up that strop and turning it into pasted paddle strop.

When stone and strop says "less is more" he really means it. IMHO, oil should be used in I'm-stuck-on-an-island-with-no-food-and-haven't-eaten-in-12-days-and-I-see-a-lizard-monitor-can-i-eat-it situation.

That said, I have zero experience with boar strop.

 

[Legion]

Whatever dressing you use, only use the tiniest amount, way less than you think you need. You can always add more, but you cant take it off.

It looks like boar, but I read bear as well. Hey, it could be bear. I see no reason why bear leather wouldn't work, but I've not seen it before. That's pretty cool.

 

[stone and strop]

10-4. It's not brittle or dry feeling. I'll saddle soap it and I've got some Pecards leather dressing. Would that do, or does it have to be neatsfoot oil?

I don't know anything about that strop dressing.
I have had good luck with Neatsfoot. If you are going to use an oil - thats what I would use.
You could certainly try something else, just give it time to work especially with anything that penetrates and that is what you want to hydrate a dry strop.
If it doesn't feel dry to you then just clean it with saddle soap, let it dry and try using it.

 

[stone and strop]

It looks like boar, but I read bear as well. Hey, it could be bear. I see no reason why bear leather wouldn't work, but I've not seen it before. That's pretty cool.

It does read Bear but I have no experience with Bear as it was not common. Horse, cow, boar, shark, elk... never seen Bear though.
As I understand it Bear is related to Boar so the hair may be similar although Boar hair I would think is courser
The pockmarks/where the hair was seems large and far apart, reminding me of Boar.

 

[Woodsrunner79]

It does read Bear but I have no experience with Bear as it was not common. Horse, cow, boar, shark, elk... never seen Bear though.
As I understand it Bear is related to Boar so the hair may be similar although Boar hair I would think is courser
The pockmarks/where the hair was seems large and far apart, reminding me of Boar.

I've dressed and tanned a few Black Bear hides and the texture is similar. I'm confident that it is, what is says it is. I'll proceed with caution. As my shop teacher always recited "Measure thrice boy. Then cut it"

 

[RumpleBearskin]

The back of that one looks like Boar, not Bear.

Whew! I was getting worried.

It looks like boar, but I read bear as well. Hey, it could be bear. I see no reason why bear leather wouldn't work, but I've not seen it before. That's pretty cool.

No. No it's not. Not cool at all!

As I understand it Bear is related to Boar

Hey! I resemble that remark!

 

[Polarbeard]

The last hunter that wanted to make a strop out of me is now a nice rug in front of my fireplace. He didn't taste like chicken.