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Leather Strop Maintenance

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Viewing 13 posts - 1 through 13 (of 13 total)
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  • #29033
    developer (ChrisB)
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 53
    • Replies: 263

    Is there any? My 3.5um side of my 5/3.5 strop is kind of sticky as in it doesn’t glide smoothly over the bevel. I’m wondering what the problem is. They have gotten pretty dark with use and don’t have a bunch of nicks or cuts in them but is there any conditioning that they require? Like oiling with olive oil?

    Working to make knife.wickededgeusa.com a great forum!

    #29034
    developer (ChrisB)
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 53
    • Replies: 263

    I haven’t tried a leather strop yet. People such as Ken Schwartz, and ytreich of knifeforums have stated that lexol leather conditioner works best on any kind of leather and doesn’t harm the strop. ytreich appears to me from his other posts to be very creative, methodical and careful in his work making and sharpening knives, and I will try lexol when I get strops.

    Working to make knife.wickededgeusa.com a great forum!

    1 user thanked author for this post.
    #29062
    wickededge
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 123
    • Replies: 2940

    I confess to be one of the laziest members of this forum when it comes to WE product maintenance. In reality, I also don’t maintain my gear because I want it see where it can fail. When it comes to strops, I don’t do anything except occasionally add more paste and lightly mist them with rubbing alcohol before use. They get black and kind of ugly looking but they work great.

    -Clay

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    #29105
    developer (ChrisB)
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 53
    • Replies: 263

    How about cleaning with alcohol, recondition with olive oil, and then reapply paste Clay, would that work?

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    #29107
    wickededge
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 123
    • Replies: 2940

    How about cleaning with alcohol, recondition with olive oil, and then reapply paste Clay, would that work?

    That would definitely work.

    -Clay

    #29132
    developer (ChrisB)
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 53
    • Replies: 263

    THERE IS A STROP BLOCK THAT I BOUGHT PRE-LOADED WITH GREEN COMPOUND AND THE MANUFACTURER SAID WHEN IT GETS HARD AND BLACK TO TREAT IT WITH A FEW DROPS OF OLIVE OIL AND GENTLY RUB IT IN TO BRING IT BACK TO LIFE , IT WORKED GREAT HAVE HAD IT FOR SOME TIME NOW .

    Working to make knife.wickededgeusa.com a great forum!

    #52830
    David Larr
    Participant
    • Topics: 0
    • Replies: 6

    I confess to be one of the laziest members of this forum when it comes to WE product maintenance. In reality, I also don’t maintain my gear because I want it see where it can fail. When it comes to strops, I don’t do anything except occasionally add more paste and lightly mist them with rubbing alcohol before use. They get black and kind of ugly looking but they work great.

    I’m the same way Clay.  I follow the instructions for the strops that wicked edge supplies to the letter, misting before my initial application as well as misting with alcohol before every use.  I have had my wicked edge for coming up on 9 months, and I sharpen maybe three knives a week, average.  I have not felt the need to reapply strop paste yet, and I do mirrors very frequently.  I am just now considering that I *might* need to add some more.

    #52838
    Organic
    Participant
    • Topics: 17
    • Replies: 929

    I think olive oil would be a poor choice to reconstitute the leather because it can go rancid.

    2 users thanked author for this post.
    #52842
    developer (ChrisB)
    Keymaster
    • Topics: 53
    • Replies: 263

    Hi All – Quick admin note, to try and avoid any confusion. While I think this is a great thread, I (the “Developer” profile) didn’t originally create it. As it was from 2015, and we’ve updated our forum a couple of times, migrating old posts as we go, many of the old posts got reassigned to my profile as the original user no longer had an account.

    So, please keep up the great discussion, just know that I’m not actually the author of the 2015 topic.

    Working to make knife.wickededgeusa.com a great forum!

    4 users thanked author for this post.
    #52844
    Dwight Glass
    Participant
    • Topics: 0
    • Replies: 89

    I oil my leather strops with “Neatsfoot Oil”, a drop or two on the leather after stropping. I also this oil on my leather belt which I use to sharpen my Straight Razor.

    2 users thanked author for this post.
    #52846
    Marc H
    Moderator
    • Topics: 81
    • Replies: 2755

    To the best of my knowledge, the strop compounds, sprays and emulsion are aqueous bases,  (i.e. water based distribution vehicles).

    I agree that oils like neatsfoot oil have been used to treat leather for years and years, to maintain suppleness.  I don’t know that’s necessarily the best mix with the aqueous stropping compounds/vehicles.

    I have found using isopropyl rubbing alcohol misted on the leather seems to dry out my leather strops and leave the leather hard and stiff.

    I don’t know the answer.  It would seem to me a water-based leather cleaner/conditioner might be the way to go.  Maybe a “Lexol” product.

    I just scrubbed my well used leather strops with dish soap on a dish sponge with a 3M scotch pad on it.  The blackened leather came clean.  Better then I’d expected.  I applied Meguiar’s auto leather cleaner/conditioner.  I like how they feel.  I’ll see if they feel any differently after reapplying the strop compound and using them.

    20191231_163851

    Marc
    (MarcH's Rack-Its)

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    #52851
    Dwight Glass
    Participant
    • Topics: 0
    • Replies: 89

    MarcH said: I agree that oils like “Neatsfoot Oil” have been used to treat leather for years and years, to maintain suppleness. I don’t know that’s necessarily the best mix with Aqueous stropping compounds/vehicles.

    you are right marcH I do not put abrasives on my leather strop’s.

    I do not know the answer either.

    1 user thanked author for this post.
    #52900
    Brewbear
    Participant
    • Topics: 7
    • Replies: 168

    Very good topic, keep it going gents and thank you! Happy 2020 to all.

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