Vintage Strop Questions

[onotoman]

Gentlemen,

I've restored many Safety and Straight Razors, but never a strop!

I found this lovely old Shaftesbury Strop in and old tin along with some razors.

Anyone heard of Shaftesbury (probably English)?

What on earth is 'Genuine Shell Horse' - stamped into the base of the strop?

Is it advisable to treat the leather with anything?

The strop is canvas on one side and leather on the other and unusually has no nicks at all in the leather but has been used and is probably at least 50 years old.

 

[BDF]

'Shell' is a membrane just under the hide of a horse's rump. Do a Google search for 'horse shell', 'cordovan shell' and you will find loads of information.

That strop actually looks very nice considering its age- if it has no major cuts and is not cracked, you can restore it and use it or display it (shell is beautiful in itself). Gently sand the strop down with very fine sandpaper (at least 600 grit but finer is OK also), and if the material itself is still soft and pliable, put as much Carnauba wax into the strop as possible. Use a fair amount of pressure and work the wax in. Let it dry and remove as much as you possibly can, again by aggressive rubbing using a cloth or towel. The surface will take on a sheen and make a very slick and effective razor strop.

Brian

Gentlemen,

I've restored many Safety and Straight Razors, but never a strop!

I found this lovely old Shaftesbury Strop in and old tin along with some razors.

Anyone heard of Shaftesbury (probably English)?

What on earth is 'Genuine Shell Horse' - stamped into the base of the strop?

Is it advisable to treat the leather with anything?

The strop is canvas on one side and leather on the other and unusually has no nicks at all in the leather but has been used and is probably at least 50 years old.

 

[onotoman]

Thanks Brian,

The strop is surprisingly supple and has not a single nick or mark in it, although it has definitely been used.

I'll do as you suggest. I have some Neatsfoot Oil and Saddle Soap, is it worth applying these.> If not, I'll look for Caurnuba Wax.

Bet Wishes

Dave

'Shell' is a membrane just under the hide of a horse's rump. Do a Google search for 'horse shell', 'cordovan shell' and you will find loads of information.

That strop actually looks very nice considering its age- if it has no major cuts and is not cracked, you can restore it and use it or display it (shell is beautiful in itself). Gently sand the strop down with very fine sandpaper (at least 600 grit but finer is OK also), and if the material itself is still soft and pliable, put as much Carnauba wax into the strop as possible. Use a fair amount of pressure and work the wax in. Let it dry and remove as much as you possibly can, again by aggressive rubbing using a cloth or towel. The surface will take on a sheen and make a very slick and effective razor strop.

Brian

 

[Brianskeet]

For a shell strop carnuba wax would be the better choice. Shell is a very prized stropping surface. If you can return it to service it should make a very nice strop.

 

[BDF]

Applying oil will increase the draw of the strop. There is at least one source out there (Scrupleworks) that supplies what I believe is oil tanned shell strops; that would indicate to me that you can use oil on them. But generally shell strops as well as true horsehide strops are used raw (as tanned) or with wax.

Lately I have been tinkering with strop materials and methods and it seems you can do about whatever you want with anything. Power sanding horsehide and rubbing wax into it makes it much smoother and slicker than the original skin; sort of like a split- hide horse hide strop which I really like. Sanding English Bridle down until the surface is gone makes what is almost identical to a Russian tanned hide. Coating any strop I have found with tallow based shaving lather also puts oil into the surface and greatly increases the draw- this is what barbers used to do in the olden' days. Real Cordovan tanned shell is an amazing material (which is what it sounds like you have there). The only real rule seems to be that if you add oil of any kind, it is hard to remove if you decide it creates too much draw. But even that is reversible if you soak the strop and rub it down well with a solvent.

Given the strop in the photos, and the fact that it is still supple, not cut or damaged, and is horse shell, I would work some wax into it, let it dry and buff as much was off the strop as possible and use it like that. It will be a very fast, light and quiet strop, as it was meant to be. And besides that, it is a very nice looking, fine vintage strop in my opinion and you just cannot find those every day. I think you were lucky to trip over that one; enjoy using it!

Brian

Thanks Brian,

The strop is surprisingly supple and has not a single nick or mark in it, although it has definitely been used.

I'll do as you suggest. I have some Neatsfoot Oil and Saddle Soap, is it worth applying these.> If not, I'll look for Caurnuba Wax.

Bet Wishes

Dave

 

[onotoman]

Many thanks to both 'Brians' - I'll give the wax a go guys

 

[Captain Pre-Capsize]

I would go with what Brian says, sounds authoritative enough for me.

Having said that, the only strops I enjoy are the vintage ones and have restored several. I only buy one if it is supple and would work. Then I coat them both sides of the leather repeatedly with neatsfoot oil. I just let is soak and soak - these strops often haven't been taken care of like that. Then I use it and here is what provides my variety. Some strops have more draw and others are very slick after this treatment. I did have one new strop I bought and for grins put the neatsfoot oil on it. That has so much draw now that frankly I don't like it, but that was a new strop. In the case of all vintage ones it restores the leather and each develops its own personality as to the level of draw.

But go with Brian, I just experiment around and in his case he actually has - ahem - knowledge.

 

[BDF]

Yeah, everything is authoritative provided you say it loudly and slowly enough

I am just now getting to where I sort of have a favorite strop, otherwise I am just passing along what I have found as well as what is defined elsewhere (by definition I mean, not collective beliefs).

What I have found is that the surface treatment of a strop is a lot more important than what it is or who may have made it. Once you completely sand through the surface of cheap English Bridle leather, it really does feel and act like Russian tanned leather.... both are cowhide, vegetable tanned but the Russian leather is split and the surface roughened. Exactly like the Bridle Leather once the surface is removed. I have a piece of horsehide (horse butt, not shell) that had a very unfortunate mishap with a razor when I was not looking (but still stropping :-( ) and rather than just toss it I power sanded it until the gouge was gone. The leather was then raw and sort of a split hide but horse rather than cowhide; leave a very fine finish on it with 1,000 grit sandpaper and a 1/4 sheet orbital sander, wax the pants off of it and it acts like a slicker version of shell. Leave a 180 grit surface on it and no chemicals at all and it looks and strops like a piece of Russian leather. 1,500 grit and nothing on the surface and it again acts like raw horsehide- as slick as stropping on waxed paper.

What makes much more of a difference I am finding is the pre- strop strop material. Felt is awful and will actually knock the keenness of an edge back in my experience. Denim, which is twill woven cotton, is pretty neutral and does not do anything that I can detect. The cotton belting I have tried does not really seem to do much either and as it is not a twill weave, it is about as smooth to strop on as a cobblestone road. Linen (twill woven linen, specifically belting so the edges will not fray) however really brings up the edge, especially if the edge was not finished on extremely fine grits; say anything coarser than 1/2 micron.

And in the end, English Bridle really is a nice stropping surface no matter how inexpensive it is. Not quite the equal of split hide for me but then again it is only 10 minutes of sanding away from becoming split hide anyway. It gets little respect from straight shavers, probably because it is neither exotic nor expensive but I still find it works very well. And I say that having a Kanoyama strop- beautiful, supple and almost sinfully pleasant to use or just feel but not any better than English Bridle that I can detect as far as the razors' edge is concerned. I will probably get cyber- slapped for that last comment but that is what I have found.

Brian

I would go with what Brian says, sounds authoritative enough for me.

<snip>

But go with Brian, I just experiment around and in his case he actually has - ahem - knowledge.

 

[bluesman 7]

leave a very fine finish on it with 1,000 grit sandpaper and a 1/4 sheet orbital sander, wax the pants off of it and it acts like a slicker version of shell. Leave a 180 grit surface on it and no chemicals at all and it looks and strops like a piece of Russian leather. 1,500 grit and nothing on the surface and it again acts like raw horsehide- as slick as stropping on waxed paper.

I would worry about leaving abrasive particles in the leather from the sanding. Maybe this isn't a problem, but I read about people who are concerned about carrying abrasive particles from a course hone to a finer one. Oscraft has just shown evidence of abrasive particles in paper towels putting scratches on honed edges. We are told to care for our strops by rubbing our palms on them, but I never see anyone concerned with contaminating the leather. Is there a reason that this is not a problem?

 

[Alum of Potash]

Brush it off or vacuum it off.

 

[BDF]

Yes, I was concerned about the particles too but had nothing to lose as the strop I was working on was ruined anyway. And I did not initially try the sanded version with my favorite, most delicate razors.

I rub the strops down as hard as I can with both paper towels and actual cloth when I am done. I am sure some particles remain but I think (hope?) they are too few to make any effective difference. If relatively coarse sandpaper is used, say less than 320 grit, the particles are hopefully large enough to be knocked off the strop with the rag. If they are very fine, then they should embed down into the leather and while they may still act as abrasives at least they should not be high or aggressive enough to actually leave deep scratches in the razor.

In the end I cannot answer your concern because I just do not know. I cannot tell any different in the performance of a new, split hide strop (a Russian type) and my sanded down horse strop other than the horse strop is faster. But as far as the razor's performance from either one, they seem to be nearly identical. Certainly the sanded strops I have are not leaving any visible scratches, gouges or anything else in my razors and all my razor edges are quite reflective (shiny).

Brian

I would worry about leaving abrasive particles in the leather from the sanding. Maybe this isn't a problem, but I read about people who are concerned about carrying abrasive particles from a course hone to a finer one. Oscraft has just shown evidence of abrasive particles in paper towels putting scratches on honed edges. We are told to care for our strops by rubbing our palms on them, but I never see anyone concerned with contaminating the leather. Is there a reason that this is not a problem?

 

[bluesman 7]

Yes, I was concerned about the particles too but had nothing to lose as the strop I was working on was ruined anyway. And I did not initially try the sanded version with my favorite, most delicate razors.

I rub the strops down as hard as I can with both paper towels and actual cloth when I am done. I am sure some particles remain but I think (hope?) they are too few to make any effective difference. If relatively coarse sandpaper is used, say less than 320 grit, the particles are hopefully large enough to be knocked off the strop with the rag. If they are very fine, then they should embed down into the leather and while they may still act as abrasives at least they should not be high or aggressive enough to actually leave deep scratches in the razor.

In the end I cannot answer your concern because I just do not know. I cannot tell any different in the performance of a new, split hide strop (a Russian type) and my sanded down horse strop other than the horse strop is faster. But as far as the razor's performance from either one, they seem to be nearly identical. Certainly the sanded strops I have are not leaving any visible scratches, gouges or anything else in my razors and all my razor edges are quite reflective (shiny).

Brian

Thanks for answering. I guess the low quantity of particles is probably why it does not cause problems. The few that are there would get dull.