Thread: Restoring a Vintage Strop

Not sure if this thread should be here or in the restorations section, but I'll start it nonetheless...

Well I was surprised yesterday by my father who produced a strop which belonged to my great grandfather after I told him I've switched to straights! It is an "Oster" brand and is a horsehide strop. It has two different lengths of leather - a very smooth one which is labeled "finishing" and a rougher one which is labeled "sharpening" of course. Its a little rough to use it in its current condition, but I believe it to be very fixable. No cracked leather - in fact it is still fairly smooth and supple for leather around 70 years old!

My question is about strop restoration. I have sanded out nicks from my poor man's strop and after some oil it came out just fine. This is the extent of my experience with strops besides actual stropping. I'm thinking that the edges will need to be sanded due to light nicks. There is one nick that might need to be glued perhaps... It definitely needs some oil or conditioner. Since this is my great grandfather's strop I don't want to do anything risky. If it was my poor man's strop I probably would have done it already. Any suggestions? I'll try to get some pics up later tonight. Also, what kind of glue should be used?

I took my vintage strop to a place who repairs shoes.
He did a excellent job making it look new.
He told me to use saddle soap to clean it and then
mink oil to condition the leather.

Pretty much exactly what blademen posted. Use Saddlesoap to clean the leather, allow it to dry, and treat with mink oil or neetsfoot oil, Use the oil spraringly. Less is more...
I would apply oil to a soft clean cloth, like an old t shirt and work it into the leather....
I've repaired nicks with super glue, test first, see how much comes out, You can even put a drop on something else, and use a toothpick (quickly) to apply/transfer the glue.

If it's just leather, There's no linen to clean. If you had to, I'd recommend soaking the linen or cotton portion of it in woolite...

Thanks for the tips. What about getting the shallower nicks out? Is the best way just to sand 'em out? Would you sand them after the saddle soap cleaning?

Good Question, I'd probably do all that type work first, sanding, etc...then do my cleaning...

Originally Posted by mrbison

Would you sand them ?

I've been told, AFTER I sanded cuts on my first strop, that the use of a pumice stone would be preferred to sand paper. Reason-small bits of the sand would be imbedded in the leather and would scratch the edge of my razor as I stropped. Taking that information for what it was worth, into the shower, lathering, scrubbing with plastic, repeating the process half a dozen times, smoothing the leather with a small glass bottle, and then just the tinest amount of neetsfoot oil, first rubbed on both hands before briskly applying it and then putting this strop aside for a month while I hand rub it every day is where I am with the sanding. Hopefully some of this will be useful for you. Old leather has to be fed carefully. Some boot manufactures recommend a solution of Properts, a substance designed to restore natural oils to leather. If it were my Grandfather's strop, I would try to find a local expert that works with leather and get their advice.

Neetsfoot oil will make the strop darker
at least it did on mine.

Originally Posted by BanjoTom

If it were my Grandfather's strop, I would try to find a local expert that works with leather and get their advice.

You're probably right. I know a good cobbler that I trust, maybe I'd better just take it there. I'm confident that I could do it, but on the other hand I don't think I would be too pleased with myself if something went wrong either. At least now I know what the basics are for strop repair so I can talk to him about it and sound semi intelligent...

What grade of sandpaper works and what type of pumice stone--the pumice stone my wife has for her feet is pretty coarse.

Going to an auction this weekend that has a few strops---thinking about it.

Pumice stone, while coarse, crumbles and turns to a very fine dust. It will not, as a sand grain will, scratch a stropped blade IMHO.