How do you clean a strop

[Leigh Betsch]

Anyone have a good method to clean a strop? I have an old barbers strop with 3 lengths of leather and one of canvas. I think it should be cleaned up, get rid of all those old whiskers. I scraped one of the leathers with a card scraper (lots of gunk on it), now I'm thinking saddle soap next. Anyone have a better idea?

[mike holden]

Leigh,
I had one from my Father-in-Law that needed help. It was only a two sided leather strop though, no canvas. I soaked it in neatsfoot oil for over a month, and it came out soft and clean.
Mike

[Harry Goodwin]

Many years ago had lether addiction and soak with neatsfoot slowly it may not take a month and it will soften till it loses its shape ect. Harry

[Johnny Kleso]

Saddle Soap comes in a shoe polish tin..

[Leigh Betsch]

How many neats feet does it take to make 8 oz of neatsfoot oil? And what do you do with the rest of them? Sausage?

[Jeff Burks]

Neatsfoot Oil (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neatsfoot_oil)

[Leigh Betsch]

Neatsfoot Oil (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neatsfoot_oil)

Now I know why a neat doesn't freeze its feet in the winter.

[Bill Wilcox]

I use a straight razor for shaving and have a strop. You should use some neatsfoot oil and use is very sparingly. If you can find unfiltered oil that has alot of tallow in it the better. Put some on your strop and rub it in with your hands. Then every chance you get use your hands and rub the strop. Your oils will then get in and help to make it nice and supple.

[john brenton]

Hey Leigh,

I'm a straight razor shaver and I strop all my tools. I clean mine with "leather wipes"...the kind that come in the tube like armor all car wipes. It's really easy and works well. I then burnish the leather with a glass bottle for my straight razors, but use my card scraper burnisher for the strop in my little shop. I have a two sided strop in my shop and put a little white rouge on one side, and Fromms strop cream on the other. Works great.