Maintaining / cleaning a strop

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droptrd

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Jul 2, 2014
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What is best for cleaning/maintaining/restoring a leather strop? Denatured alcohol, iso alcohol or olive oil?
 
droptrd said:
What is best for cleaning/maintaining/restoring a leather strop? Denatured alcohol, iso alcohol or olive oil?
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I assume this is a leather strop with compound?
If it is with compound and really loaded with a mix of compound, metal residues etc., I use coarse sandpaper to clean the surface, depending on the last treatment, I then use a bit of clear/white shoe cream (not shoe polish) and press it/rub it in nicely, as recommended by Stitchawl here on BF. It seems that shoe creme works just as good as all the pricy advertised leather treatment oils etc. Then apply the compound again. Hopefully Stitchawl chimes in too!

If it is a strop without compound, I think retreating it with shoe creme once or twice a year is all that is needed.
 
Looks like Andy's advice is good.

I've (once) used isopropyl alcohol to clean a strop, but it'll dry out the leather pretty fast. If using it, or any other solvent-based cleaners, the follow-up treatment with shoe cream or leather conditioner becomes more important.

I'd avoid the olive oil, as it'll get somewhat rancid and sticky over time. The more it's used, the harder it'll become to clean up the old, sticky oil from the leather; it'll soak in over time, and you'll never get rid of all of it. Same thing happens if using too much mineral oil on leather (I've done this), as it'll continually 'bleed' from the leather forever, and always leaves something of a slimy mess on a blade after stropping. I just discarded a piece of leather treated as such (replaced it with denim over the same block), as I decided it wasn't worth the trouble trying to clean it anymore.

With a leather strop, I'm of the belief that 'minimal' is best. Cleaning doesn't have to be anything aggressive, as with solvents and such. More often than not, a compounded strop can just be wiped down with a dry microfiber towel or a paper towel, to remove the excess black swarf. Don't worry about getting it immaculately clean; it'll still work fine, even when it 'looks' dirty.


David
 
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I spritz the strop...the compound coating really...with WD40. Just a light spritzing then I use a clean shop rag to wipe off the compound.
 
I have always used WD40, works really well. I spray it on a rag, not even on the leather and wipe it down.
 
Mine isn't a suggestion, but a question. How about saddle soap? It's suppose to be for cleaning leather. I think I read that on another thread here.
 
I'll third that WD40 suggestion.

If your strop is really neglected and without any sort of natural knap, I've found a brass wire detailing brush and its nylon companion scrubs off the old compound and ruffles the surface of the leather a bit, restoring its natural knap/"bite" and preparing it for a fresh coat of compound.

But of course everybody has their own method.. And some prefer their strop to be smooth, "seasoned" and knap-free.
 
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Clanderson.
Thats how i clean mine. Exept after i use the brass brush lightly i get the stiff nylon and put a dab of dawn on it and scrub it. I also use the fuzzy side. Works pretty good.
 
buckman110 said:
The wd-40 makes the leather damp pretty much indefinitely. How are you supposed to use compound?
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Don't spray it directly on the leather, and there's no need to use it heavily at all. Just lightly moisten a rag or paper towel with a spritz of it, and wipe down the strop. It'll dry sufficiently within 30-60 minutes, if not much sooner. What little does remain is just light mineral oil, and won't interfere with the compound anyway.


David
 
buckman110 said:
Hmmm. Are u talking about the slick or rough side?
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Either side; it doesn't matter. The method I described for WD-40 is how I'd used it, to clean some of my leather strops. The leather gets a little dark on the very surface when it's wiped with the moistened rag or paper towel, but there's not enough to really sink in. Really soaking the leather or spraying directly onto it will increase the likelihood of the WD-40 sinking in deeply, and it may or may not be a problem (might also break down adhesives used to attach the leather; could start peeling off).

I had one older strop that I'd pretty thoroughly saturated with a slurry-type mix of mineral oil and compound (green), and it continued to 'bleed' oil indefinitely thereafter. Didn't really interfere with the performance of the strop (it was kind of 'tacky' in feel), but it necessitated wiping down my blades with some Windex or alcohol after I was done stropping, as it left a slimy-looking haze on them. Inconvenient, but not a deal-breaker.


David
 
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After I clean my strop I warm the leather over my stove top burner. This makes the compound go on better...I wear a nitrile glove on one hand and use the glove hand to smooth the compound on the leather...dirty minded buggers lol...
I find that the compound is much smoother and evenly spread on the leather.
I use WD sparingly so no danger of fire, etc.
 
If you really want to clean the strop well, use mineral spirits (this is in WD-40 and makes is such a good cleaner but still oily when finished,) Coleman fuel, naptha, or even ordinary lighter fluid. All of these will remove EVERYTHING from the leather, dry completely with no residue, and if used with a green 'scrubbie,' clean the leather down to the pores. Glycerine Saddle soap will do the same, but require several repeats to get everything off.
But as OWE says, there is no need to get it sparking clean.
No matter which method you use, it is IMPERATIVE that you re-condition the leather with either shoe cream or leather dressing (NOT WAX! )


Stitchawl
 
When my strop got somewhat glazed I rubbed it down with a Magic Eraser. It was just abrasive enough to take off the excess compound and raise the nap of the leather a lttlebit. It also did not clean it too much, if you know what I mean. This is my first strop, and I made it from some scrap leather and a 2x4 so I was not too worried about ruining it.

The Magic Eraser seemed to work fairly well without affecting the leather enough to require reconditioning.
 
Hanover Fiste said:
When my strop got somewhat glazed I rubbed it down with a Magic Eraser. It was just abrasive enough to take off the excess compound and raise the nap of the leather a lttlebit. It also did not clean it too much, if you know what I mean. This is my first strop, and I made it from some scrap leather and a 2x4 so I was not too worried about ruining it.

The Magic Eraser seemed to work fairly well without affecting the leather enough to require reconditioning.
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With all due respect, Hanover, you 'should' recondition your leather once or twice EVERY year, regardless of your usage. Leather is a natural product, and reacts to atmospheric conditions; i.e. it drys out. The more it dries out, the shorter the life expectancy. (Think: baby's skin vs old man's skin)
2-3 pea-sized dots of shoe cream rubbed in well each year will insure that your strop can be passed on to your grandchildren in good condition.


Stitchawl
 
Just joined the forum and read my first thread on conditioning strops.
I have my grandfather's strop that hasn't been used in years.
What should I do to bring it back to life?
Thanks
 
stitchawl said:
With all due respect, Hanover, you 'should' recondition your leather once or twice EVERY year, regardless of your usage. Leather is a natural product, and reacts to atmospheric conditions; i.e. it drys out. The more it dries out, the shorter the life expectancy. (Think: baby's skin vs old man's skin)
2-3 pea-sized dots of shoe cream rubbed in well each year will insure that your strop can be passed on to your grandchildren in good condition.


Stitchawl
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Are the oils in WD40 enough to condition the leather or do I still need to use shoe cream or purpose leather conditioner?
 
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