Strop Resto Questions

[duke762]

I'm not really understanding strop sanding. Timwcic is using water while he sands. I don't really understand how much and why. If you get a hold of an old, stiff dried out strop, wouldn't sanding it dry be the way to go? I keep getting little pills of leather rolled up under my paper. A sign of dry rot or is this the reason to use water. I just can't wrap my head around getting it wet. Timwcic's results are outstanding............I'm worried I'm gonna' dork something up.

 

[Biglo13]

I re read timwcic’s post... my understanding is that he uses progressively finer sandpaper. Wet sanding with water. He is also using a sanding block.. I also know water and heat, drying process will shrink leather a bit. The shrinking, I think contributes to that smooth skin side like leather surface....

 

[stone and strop]

I don't believe he is wet sanding the leather.
Can you add a link?

 

[duke762]

Cranial Flatulence on my part. I realize now he's working on horse shell not leather. I'm working on an ancient, smelly, mildewed, Russian tanned. Seems to have a layer of decay on it, plus usage. Does mildew or other mold degrade leather. The brown, powdery, top layer rolls into little ball while sanding. Good leather underneath but what a drag to get to. Best thing I've found so far, is to moisten the nappy surface and come back 24 hours later after it dried and lightly re-sand and repeat. I'm trying to bring it back to life. Any suggestions would be really helpful. Is normal for a Russian tanned or other flesh side strops to be this hard to resurface or is my strop more defunct than most.

 

[stone and strop]

I realize now he's working on horse shell not leather

Horse Shell is still considered leather( I believe) from the tanning process.
Your Russian tanned will be the same thing.
I would try to clean the strop first with lather and a rag. If mold has degraded it, it may not be salvageable.
Normally the Shell strops are not too hard to refurbish but this depends entirely on its state to begin with.
Sanding too much can certainly ruin a strop and it is a last resort. Minimal sanding is always preferred.

 

[Steve56]

Iwasaki’s book has a chapter for barbers that describes washing and restoring strops. I’m not sure I have a copy of it handy and you can’t post links to blogs, but it isn’t hard to find.

I’ve always dry sanded mine. Usually start about 80-160 grit and proceed through 2k. Iwasaki mentioned ‘strop paper’ which I believe was about 1k. And yes, you need to have a single strop on a flat surface and use a block to sand.

 

[duke762]

Thank you Steve56! I used a stone as a sanding block and have managed to find a nice surface under the decay. The new surface actually smells like leather and not mildew. I now have a usable piece of equipment for cheap. Looks very promising...if I paid myself to do this I'd have I'd have enough money to buy a nice new, top of the line strop but I wouldn't have learned anything new and interesting. Old razors, old stones and old strops and big satisfaction!

 

[timwcic]

I'm not really understanding strop sanding. Timwcic is using water while he sands. I don't really understand how much and why. If you get a hold of an old, stiff dried out strop, wouldn't sanding it dry be the way to go? I keep getting little pills of leather rolled up under my paper. A sign of dry rot or is this the reason to use water. I just can't wrap my head around getting it wet. Timwcic's results are outstanding............I'm worried I'm gonna' dork something up.

I just noticed this thread. I did wet sand a progression ending around 1K. I did use water to keep the paper from loading. My two restros were on old but in very good condition strops. They did have surface scrapes and small cuts that needed to be remover. All the same time trying to remove as little as possible. I wanted leather not suede. When using water, I was not cheap, it got a good bath. It did charge the color of the leather but as I got finer and the leather dried, it turns back to its natural color.

I do not know if using water is right or wrong, it worked for me

 

[timwcic]

And one thing, I did use a sanding block. I used a small coticule wraped in paper using my granite lapping surface is a flat work surface

 

[duke762]

Thank you Timwcic! Your results look fantastic! I've got another resto on the way. Hopefully it will be in fairly serviceable condition with no heroics needed. I need to be more selective when buying used, vintage stuff. It's been said by my coworkers that I'll pay 10 extra dollars for something if it's rusty or broken.

 

[Rusty Blade]

I have done a couple of strop restorations and in one case I dry sanded first with progressively finer wet/dry sandpaper and a sanding block merely provides some stability to the sandpaper so you don't gouge the leather. In one case the leather was kind of funky with years of oil embedded. In that case I washed the leather with saddle soap first and it made quite a difference. Let it dry really well and then sanded through the progression of grits.

 

[Seaswood]

Can the linen be washed?
Soaked in water?
Or otherwise, it is old so unknown but dirty basically.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I restore linen by removing it and placing it in the nearest trash receptacle. However if I liked using linen, I would clean it with a toothbrush and head n shoulders shampoo solution, about 3:1.

 

[Rugger007]

Get some Lexol leather cleaner and conditioner. Clean with the Lexol and see where that leaves you. If sanding is required following that, start at 220 and work your way up. Clean again with the Lexol and condition the leather.

 

[Rusty Blade]

Can the linen be washed?
Soaked in water?
Or otherwise, it is old so unknown but dirty basically.

If the linen is in poor condition then throw it in the trash. If it looks in good shape then hot soapy water and a toothbrush. Dish soap will do fine. Scrub well. Rinse and repeat if necessary. Hang it to dry with one end weighted.

 

[alex1921]

Can the linen be washed?
Soaked in water?
Or otherwise, it is old so unknown but dirty basically.

I soak the linen in water with washing machine liquid detergent.
Then scrub with a scrub brush. I repurposed a vegetable brush.
Like the above post says, you need to weight one end otherwise it will shrink.

 

[Seaswood]

I cleaned the linen with hot water then brushed with tooth brush twice.
Let it hang down did not get the hang weight part, it is not quite flat.
What you may mean by shrinking maybe.
Dubl Duck Satinedge with a hook & eye to hang it.

 

[Rusty Blade]

I cleaned the linen with hot water then brushed with tooth brush twice.
Let it hang down did not get the hang weight part, it is not quite flat.
What you may mean by shrinking maybe.
Dubl Duck Satinedge with a hook & eye to hang it.
View attachment 1031630

Looks very nice. Well done.

 

[Seaswood]

I sanded the strop as mentioned with 800/1000 wet dry paper cleaned with saddle soap & neatsfoot oil to finish. Dubl Duck is noted as Fifty Fifty half shell half Russia is that a type of hide?