How do you clean a strop?

M

mcconnad

Joined
Jun 3, 2012
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23
I have some leather strops that have become grey with all the metal that has been taken off with them. What is the best way to clean them up?
 
olive oil, put a few drops on and rub it in and wipe off excess and let dry and reapply compound of choice.
 
If they are good quality leather strops, why not use a good quality leather cleaner? That's what the stuff is made for...
You can buy it in any automotive shop for cleaning leather interiors. Otherwise, a good brand of saddle soap will work too.
If you have junky strops, there are lots of junky ways you can clean it, but keep in mind that petroleum solvents and oils will eventually deteriorate the leather. If you use them, you need to revitalize the leather with some form of leather conditioner.


Stitchawl
 
I use a little bick 1 and a tooth brush. After I wash and let it dry I apply bick 4 then compounds.
 
I just scrape mine off with a straight-edge (steel ruler) when it gets loaded, then reapply the compound.
 
I spray the strop with WD40 to soak it a bit then use a paint scraper to remove the old compound. I spray more WD then use a rag to wipe off what the scraper didn't get. I use the burner on my cook stove to warm the leather prior to applying compound. I find it allows the compound to spread better, then I use my fingers to smooth the coating.

Reading about using leather cleaner spurred me to remove the compound on my strop this evening and prior to adding compound I applied leather cleaner. Can't say for sure that it did anything but it hurt nothing so no worse for the effort.
I'm using a heavier veg tanned leather I bought from Springfield Leather...nice place to shop for this sort of stuff.
 
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