I have a question regarding strop care. I have three products that I use the first is a strop dressing called 1907 from a company called FROMM, second is a DOVO strop balm and and third is a chromium oxide bar. For the 1907 strop dressing it says to allow 24 hours between the 2 applications of dressing, but it doesn't say how often I should be applying it On the DOVO balm it doesn't say anything in terms of how to apply it to or how much to use/frequency I should be applying it to my strop. same thing with the oxide bar. just curious if you guys could give me a guideline of how often I should be applying this stuff. it gets dry in my place just wondering does that factor into it. if so I will grab a dehumidifier to help with that. thanks
strop care
- Thread starter Newbiestraightrazor
- Start date
It would best for you to take a long time to decide what to do.
Some folks have strops that they dress and others that they don't.
Some folks have strops that they dress and others that they don't.
I don’t have a rule, except that when the strop appears dry and is no longer pliable I add a few drops of neatsfoot oil.
A few drops go a long way.
And it goes without saying, anything containing an abrasive compound, like chromium oxide, shall only be applied to a strop that is used to occasionally restore the sharpness of an edge. Once such a compound has touched a strop, the strop can no longer be used for daily stropping.
B.
A few drops go a long way.
And it goes without saying, anything containing an abrasive compound, like chromium oxide, shall only be applied to a strop that is used to occasionally restore the sharpness of an edge. Once such a compound has touched a strop, the strop can no longer be used for daily stropping.
B.
This
good advice...have two strops...yes one with compound and one without...a light oiling to keep the strop from drying out, once a year or six months depending on climate.
I have three leather strops. I don't use dressings or compounds, just the plain leather. Before I strop a blade I usually use the palm of my hand to rub on the leather. The oils in my hand are sufficient to keep the strop pliable and soft. If I were to use a compound or treatment I would go very light. Better to under-oil than over-oil. Nothing worse than a gummy strop.
An old and dry strop needs rehydration. That said I have old Japanese strops that were not dry and I haven't done anything to them in years. With leather I go by, less is more.
Applying any dressing to a strop isn't something that is just done without a tangible reason.
A lot of what the leather needs, or doesn't, depends on the type of leather, how it was prepared, and condition. Storage conditions might matter too sometimes. But it's not like every new strop has to or should be conditioned
I wouldn't just go applying anything to a strop unless I had cause to take action. If the leather was actually dried out, or something, maybe. Using products like this can change how the leather acts and feels.
I would not put any garden variety 'product' on most horsehides or cordovan.
I wouldn't use any product if I didn't know exactly what was in it. I don't know the 1907 stuff.
Not sure what is in the Dovo balm but it's greasy. Me, personally, I avoid anything with silicone, food oils, or petroleum products in it. Leather has a cellular structure to consider, and not every chemistry is good for leather.
If you have an old dried out strop, conditioning might be called for, but it is not a one size fits all thing. A lot of guys soak dry leather in oils or whatever and that's just not the way to go about it.
Chromox is an abrasive compound, often used on a cloth strop component, kept separate from the main strop. It is not a daily use sort of thing. There are plenty of videos and threads about using abrasive pastes and slurries on strops.
A lot of what the leather needs, or doesn't, depends on the type of leather, how it was prepared, and condition. Storage conditions might matter too sometimes. But it's not like every new strop has to or should be conditioned
I wouldn't just go applying anything to a strop unless I had cause to take action. If the leather was actually dried out, or something, maybe. Using products like this can change how the leather acts and feels.
I would not put any garden variety 'product' on most horsehides or cordovan.
I wouldn't use any product if I didn't know exactly what was in it. I don't know the 1907 stuff.
Not sure what is in the Dovo balm but it's greasy. Me, personally, I avoid anything with silicone, food oils, or petroleum products in it. Leather has a cellular structure to consider, and not every chemistry is good for leather.
If you have an old dried out strop, conditioning might be called for, but it is not a one size fits all thing. A lot of guys soak dry leather in oils or whatever and that's just not the way to go about it.
Chromox is an abrasive compound, often used on a cloth strop component, kept separate from the main strop. It is not a daily use sort of thing. There are plenty of videos and threads about using abrasive pastes and slurries on strops.
I was trying to think of a word to describe the feel of my Illinois horse strop. Gummy might be a good way to put it. It’s not sticky. It just doesn’t have the same nice zippy feel like my other strops. I feel it’s not improving the razors edge as well as my others. The former owner cleaned it with saddle soap. Maybe used too much. Any suggestions?
I am not sure what to recommend. I had a vintage strop that was beautiful to look at, but it was gummy from being over-oiled. I sent it to Razor Emporium and they refinished it and did a great job. You can check out their strop refurbishment service on their web site. I have two new strops, and the most they have every received in terms of treatment is rubbing them with the palm of my hand and they are as good as new. I also have a couple of old strops that I picked up at antique shops and they are both saturated with oil and pretty much useless for stropping...though they do look nice handing on the wall.
I would heed Keith's (@Gamma's) advice and only treat the leather on a need-to basis. Based on watching this video and @Rusty Blade's experience, if I were to treat the leather, I would try applying a VERY small amount of Otter Wax Leather Oil on a small section of the strop at the very top or bottom.
@TamYelloP
If you have a gummy feel, any type of oil is probably the last thing you want to put on it.
Always research leather care products to find out what they are made out of before using it.
Seed oils, food oils, olive oils, etc - they can all go rancid over time and that can wreak havoc on the leather's cellular structure. They can build up easy, clog pores, get gummy, sticky, etc. A build up of oil, like olive oil, will for sure get gummy. Some treatments are ok for footwear - like bear grease, but really not for strops. So choose wisely.
Remember, If someone says they treated a strop with something, you don't know for sure if that is actually what they used, or if it is all they used.
Saddle soap typically won't get gummy but if someone rubbed a ton into the hide then I can see how a build up could collect dirt and that could possibly get gummy. There is wax and lanolin in there.
Most people don't really know how to use saddle soap correctly, so I can see someone applying it like a cook would slap bacon grease into a fry pan. And if the hide is rubbed very hard the texture can be compromised too.
Some guys just have the hardest time leaving stuff that is absolutely fine as-is alone. They just gotta do something when the best thing to do is nothing. I remember someone who totally disregarded a direct "NO, DONT DO THAT", went ahead and slathered 3 in 1 oil all over a horsehide strop to make it more supple. Totally saturated it in oil. Was DOA.
Horween is a known source for good info when it comes to leather care. One cleaner they mention is Lexol, which I have been using since I was a kid. I use the stuff in the dark container. If I have leather that gets grubby, it gets a lexol treatment. But I don't hose the item down, submerge it in a vat of it, or anything else extreme.
If you have a gummy feel, any type of oil is probably the last thing you want to put on it.
Always research leather care products to find out what they are made out of before using it.
Seed oils, food oils, olive oils, etc - they can all go rancid over time and that can wreak havoc on the leather's cellular structure. They can build up easy, clog pores, get gummy, sticky, etc. A build up of oil, like olive oil, will for sure get gummy. Some treatments are ok for footwear - like bear grease, but really not for strops. So choose wisely.
Remember, If someone says they treated a strop with something, you don't know for sure if that is actually what they used, or if it is all they used.
Saddle soap typically won't get gummy but if someone rubbed a ton into the hide then I can see how a build up could collect dirt and that could possibly get gummy. There is wax and lanolin in there.
Most people don't really know how to use saddle soap correctly, so I can see someone applying it like a cook would slap bacon grease into a fry pan. And if the hide is rubbed very hard the texture can be compromised too.
Some guys just have the hardest time leaving stuff that is absolutely fine as-is alone. They just gotta do something when the best thing to do is nothing. I remember someone who totally disregarded a direct "NO, DONT DO THAT", went ahead and slathered 3 in 1 oil all over a horsehide strop to make it more supple. Totally saturated it in oil. Was DOA.
Horween is a known source for good info when it comes to leather care. One cleaner they mention is Lexol, which I have been using since I was a kid. I use the stuff in the dark container. If I have leather that gets grubby, it gets a lexol treatment. But I don't hose the item down, submerge it in a vat of it, or anything else extreme.
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