I have fromm dressing that I use on my Illinois 827 and it help with the draw. I have an english bridle leather strop and was wondering would this dressing help or hinder the draw on this type of leather.
Fromm Dressing on English Bridle
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Are you looking to increase or to decrease the draw?
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I would like to increase the draw a bit. I know neatsfoot oil would do the job, but I do not have any and was wondering if Fromm dressing would suffice.
Can't say for sure. Maybe some more knowledgeable folks can chime in here. If the Fromm's dressing increased the draw on the IRS, then it might do the same for the English bridle. No doubt neatsfoot oil will do the trick, and a small bottle only fetches 6-10 dollars here Stateside. That's a small price to pay for a strop that costs far more IMO. And generic neatsfoot oil will probably be here long after the current crop of Fromm's dressing.
I put Fromm's dressing on a TM Old#2 bridle strop and it reduced the draw slightly (which is what I was looking for). On a Walking Horse (horeshide) strop I did not notice any change in the draw after Fromm was applied. To increase draw I would probably try a little light (very fine) sandpaper and maybe a little neatsfoot oil - go slow and light while testing frequently.
If the leather's treated, I wouldn't use sandpaper, but I agree that the Fromm's might reduce the draw here. I have some Meltonian leather balm for cleaning old leather and it has a bit of crushed beetle (shellac) in it. This smooths the surface, giving a bit of shine. On the other hand, little bit of neatsfoot oil on the palm followed by a fast light rubbing raises the nap as it were.
