How do you maintain a strop?
- Thread starter NorrisB
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Depends on the leather. Some just need an occasional palm rubbing. Others, a bit of neatsfoot oil. One responds to nothing but occasional saddle soap conditioning.
All my strops have been new so I have never needed to recondition them. When they need to be cleaned I just use a slightly damp towel followed by a dry towel to takeoff any excess moisture, then hang dry. As far a keeping them supple, I just rub my strops with my hands, if you want to you can use other body parts like forehead, nose etc.
I rub mine by hand pretty much whenever I go past it. Every couple months I was wiping down with moist paper towel. I recently painted some tallow based lather on it (arko) and let it dry and I really like that approach as it adds moisture and oils/ fats which made a nice draw.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Hand rubbing, and lots of it, will usually suffice. Adding stuff to your strop is an exercise in peril. Once you got too much, it's got too much for a very, very long time. But if it is really drying out, neats foot oil is king. A few drops in the palm of your hand, and rub it in good. Don't do this very often. Lately I have been using beeswax to give a bit of draw to strops that seem too hard and slick to me. I rub it in the palm of my hand and rub the strop with my hand. Shave lather is often used, both tallow and glycerine types. Saddle soap, too. I think neats foot oil is best, myself, just because. What am I, a strop scientist? I don't know why it is better. It just is. Until I see evidence otherwise. Anyay it is very traditional and hardcore. In barber shops, lather is actually traditional and some barbers keep using the same strop their whole career so if it is wrong, it isn't too badly wrong.
Has anyone ever tried Obernauf's leather oil? It is a formula that contains no petroleum distillates, and uses plant oils, propolis, and bees wax. I use it extensively on my leather gear, mostly my boots, as well as their HP product which is a wax, but the same ingredients with different ratios. I think it works great for the stuff I've used it for. I don't own a hanging strop at this point YET, but when I purchase a new one, will have no need to treat it for quite some time. I would not hesitate to use it though, if there was a need.
http://www.obenaufs.com/v/vspfiles/templates/254/images/homepage/ObeanufsLeatherOil.pdf
http://www.obenaufs.com/v/vspfiles/templates/254/images/homepage/ObeanufsLeatherOil.pdf
I use neets foot oil works for me.
I'm with Slash on adding things to strops. I use a Kanayama and the only thing I do to it is regular hand rubs. You know, wipe your forehead and rub a bit of an oily hand on your strop. The truth of this is that if you add things like oils etc it will alter the draw of the thing. My reason for owning a cordovan strop was it's slick draw. The last thing I'd want to change is its draw.
I'm about to condition some new veg tanned leather for a strop, has anyone used Lanolin? Thinking out loud here, being a skin lipid it would seem like a good choice. Dissolve some in acetone and spread it thinly.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
I don't like solvents on leather, in general. Does it make a difference? Maybe, maybe not. One thing about this thing of ours... we all have our magic formulae and incantations that we favor, some that probably actually do make a difference, some that are just placebo, some that are a familiar comfort. We like to experiment sometimes, too. Go for it if you are of a mind to. I wouldn't do anything way out to an expensive strop, though. Pick a cheap one for a test rat.
Could always do it without acetone, it'a great for my skin anyway, just rub it in by hand. Lanolin, yes,no?
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Don't know. But I fear the temptation to use entirely too much could be disastrous. A drop or two rubbed into the palm, then hand rubbing the strop should be plenty. It would still be a wild assed experiment. The safe ground is still gonna be good old dependable neats foot oil.
I just use a warm cotton cloth once in a while, or one or two I have appled a small amount of Fromm's strop dressing and I mean a small amount.
We'll, if you can't summise a good reason not to, in your infinitely greater experience, i'd say that grounds for an experiment. 
Will report back.
Will report back.
Obernauf's. That stuff is brilliant. Use only a little bit though. A little bit in the palm of the hand and the use your hands to rub into the leather. And then don't do it again for at least six months.
+1
I've used their products for years and they have always been awesome
You can use a good shave soap that contain lanolin as barbers back in the day did. I used shave soap on leather golf club grips and it worked just fine. I think there is a video on YouTube where an old barber goes into some detail about his annual strop maintenance. I don't remember what he used though.
I've found that different strops respond best to different conditioning practices. One of my horsehide strops really did well with a daily wipe with a damp washcloth. My present boar hide likes a bit of skin oil and vigorous palm rubbing. Some strops have responded well to saddle soap. There all different.
