Thread: Old Strop: Looking for info & advice

My dad still uses the same barber we started going to 20 years ago (I would, but I moved). My dad told him I was making the switch to straight razor, and he enthusiastically offered him one of his old strops to give me (he's got a nice display of vintage straight razors and accessories in his shop). How generous! 22" x 2.5" horsehide/woven linen.

I tried finding some info on this strop, but I was unsuccessful. Does anyone know about this? Good, bad, or trivial?

I know little about strops, besides what I've read and seen as examples (mostly new nice ones) on SRP. To me, this strop doesn't look safe to use on my new-to-me freshly-Lynn-honed Dovo.

I'm going to restore it. Partly for learning, and it'll be cool to hang on the wall if nothing else. If I can make it usable, maybe even as a pasted strop, that'd be 100x better!

Please don't hate me for posting so many photos, but I'm being overly thorough since I don't know exactly what I have (physically or condition-wise).

The top 1/3 of it is checked pretty badly. The middle 1/3 is very mildly checked, but does have one pretty deep crack that's about 1" long. The free-end 1/3 looks decent (and apears to be the only part used recently). How bad is the checking? Salvageable/usable or no?

After reading through the strop restoration threads, here's the procedure I have in mind... Please tell me if I'm on the right track!
1) Sounds like saddle soap is going to be the first step, to clean it and soften it up. I'll disassemble the strop, lay the hide flat on some newspaper, and work saddle soap into it with a microfiber cloth. Wipe the excess off and let sit to see what it does.
2) Second step will probably depend on how well step 1 works, but I'm thinking maybe some light work with a pumice stone would benefit it.
3) Hopefully at this point it'd be softer (hopefully warp will be eliminated) and smooth, so then I'd want to try some tallow-based lather and glass bottle working.

I was originally thinking neatsfoot oil was going to play a major role here, but after reading through the threads, I think saddle soap and good lather/bottle working sounds better.

EDIT:
For the linen side, I saw someone suggest soaking in Woolite. Would a soft bristle brush scrub help, too?

EDIT 2:
I expect the warp to go away after saddle soap/lather/glass bottle treatment, but I saw mention of ironing in the barber's manual. I'd look more into that if the warp was still evident.

22"x2.5" Horse Hide & Woven Linen


I wouldn't at this point classify it as "supple."


"Shenk Barber Supply, Richmond VA" (Barber shop is in Richmond, cool that it's local)


"Genuine Horse Hide No. 1" ...I don't yet know what the different "No.s" mean. I'm a powder coater/metal refinisher, so the hardware will clean up nice.


Linen side


"Professional Barber, Linen Finish No. 1, Solid Woven, Will Not Kink"


Top 1/3 showing some of the heavier checking and a depression/heavy crack (doesn't look like cut) on the left side (dark spot)

Free-end 1/3, looks like the only place it was used recently.


Middle 1/3, looks decent but warped.


Middle 1/3 mildly checked.


Top 1/3 heavily checked. Better view of big crack.


Worst checking is within the first 5" from top.

Closer view of checking.


Checking and depression at "dark spot".


Closer view of mild checking in middle 1/3.

Nice old strop. I would think you could use it, especially if you do some TLC on it. The pix give an impression but you are the one who has it in hand. If you can restore some of the suppleness I would think it would be safe to use. Safe for the razor I mean. As for who made it .... I doubt anyone could say. Jobbed out from a barber supply company of bygone days, who had their name stamped on it. Most of the pro barber strops back then, if I'm not mistaken, were made from horse butt.

I'm probably the one who suggested the Woolite. You could do the brush thing if the discoloration bothers you. On the vintage strops I've gotten the only time I washed the linen was when it was 'lumpy'. Washing it and drying flat, sometimes with a heavy phone book on it, would usually take out the lumps/waves. As for the leather, I've done a bit of neatsfoot on a couple and a very little goes a very long way. I have never done the saddle soap or the lather treatment but some who have say they got good results. Let us know how you make out.

I have a few vintage strops that needed TLC. I used Woolite on the linen, like Jimmy mentioned, and I cleaned the leather with Saddle soap, then reconditioned it with Neetsfoot oil. a little goes a long way. I wouldn't put it directly on the strop, but on an old cloth or something, and rub it in. Mink oil or leather conditioner are fine too. Here's some pics. I don't know about shaving soap, I've never done it.

The checking/cracking bothers me, clean it with real leather cleaners(saddle soap) and give it some neatsfoot oil and see what happens.

when the leather is conditioned the cracking will improve through swelling of the surface leather with oils from your conditioner. Looks like a nice old strop, I expect it will be a good one after you've given it some TLC

thanks for the input. i'll post up photos as i go. if nothing else, it'll be a good learning experience for when i get a nice new strop. got some saddle soap coming.