Is Vintage Linen Sometimes Rolled?

[duke762]

I recently got 2 vintage shell strops in for restore and noticed that the linen had a noticeably smooth, compressed surface as if it had been rolled under pressure. The weave was actually flattened which made it deliciously smooth but of course after I washed it, it was gone. And no it wasn't starch or some other coating.

Was this a thing during Manufacture? The pattern is too uniform to be from anything but rolling. I think it may be a great solution for me to really enjoy a zoopless fabric component. I would like to build a say.....3 inch roller with adjustable down force. Some type of clamping fixture maybe? May come in handy for recalcitrant leather pieces also.

I've had moderate success by using a steel, 2 pound roofing roller which really amped up the smooth. More pressure may get me there.

Has anyone else seen this type of compression on a vintage fabric component? I think it's ingenious and want to duplicate it.

 

[stone and strop]

Iron it after washing.

 

[duke762]

I think it will take a bit more pressure than I can generate with an iron. The 2 pound roller only got me an improvement, not like it was originally.

 

[stone and strop]

I have always ironed a renewed canvas strop. It dramatically flattens and smooths the material.

 

[Christian1212]

That's something I need to try out on mine!

 

[duke762]

I'll give it a try and see what happens........Next question...Does anyone use a little spray starch while ironing?

 

[rbscebu]

I'll give it a try and see what happens........Next question...Does anyone use a little spray starch while ironing?

Yes, but not on the collars or cuffs.

 

[gigadeath]

Maybe it really wasn't starched (yet like 99% of linen comes out of production lines with starch or similar finishing), but for sure it was pressed with industrial machinery. No way to replicate at home. Iron is the way (one might say linen is not to be ironed, as it's meant to be wrinkly - it doesn't make a difference if you have it full-wrinkled after wash of half-wrinkled after iron, so don't waste time).

 

[stone and strop]

I'll give it a try and see what happens........Next question...Does anyone use a little spray starch while ironing?

No, dry.
Would the starch not make it stiffer? You want it be smooth and supple.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

Why would you want to stiffen a linen strop?

The goal is to get more fibers to contact the blade, not just the tops.
I wash and roll linen to loosen the fibers and make them soft.