Strop oil

Second post on B&B!

I'm just wondering...I'm planning to make a strop out of cowhide (First strop ever, I have the leather already so no money spent) and I've heard varying things about having to oil a strop to keep it soft...Do I NEED to? And if so, can I use a vegetable oil or something? I'd rather not shell out for a tiny bottle of something..

And another thing, do I need to use strop paste for basic before shave stropping?

I really have no idea as I am just heading down the same road.
I have heard this type oil mentioned but at this point don't know if its required.

http://www.fleetfarm.com/detail/fiebing-s-prime-neatsfoot-oil-compound/0000000079615

Yes, neatsfoot oil is usually what is recommended for strop conditioner depending on the type of leather you have. Some leathers need a tiny bit once in a while and others need nothing at all. If the leather is in good shape; supple with no signs of drying then just keep palm rubbing till it tells you it wants a bit of something. Then add the smallest amount of conditioner needed to return it to good shape. I have a Walkin Horse split side that wants conditioner frequently! I have a latigo Mountain Mike's that wants conditioner almost never. Really depends on the leather. If you determine that yes indeed your leather is ready for a bit of something this is my method to make sure it is applied in a tiny enough amount and evenly. I put a dab in my hand. One green pea sized dab. Rub my hands together briskly to warm it up and spread it over my palms. Then palm rub my strop starting with very light strokes over the entire surface and progressing to firm normal palm rubbing. If I think it needs a touch more I will repeat with the other hand that still has conditioner on it. I almost never use the second hand. That usually gets wiped on a rag. Then I glass the strop briskly with a clean glass bottle just to ensure that it is evenly spread and also that most of it was rubbed off. I hope it is coming through just how small the amounts are that I am talking about. Now on to types of leathers. Latigo, oil tanned, vegetable tanned will all do nicely with neatsfoot oil. Neatsfoot oil by the way is also called leather fat because it is a cattle product. You are putting on what the animal had in there to begin with. That is why it works as well as it does. Now, cordovan is a different leather and needs to be treated differently. It is not a true leather as we normally think of it because it comes from the subsurface of the horses butt. It is a membrane that is under the skin and is frequently called shell. In my opinion it has no equal as a stropping surface. About the only place that still makes it is a company called Horween and in advertisements you will see it is a big deal to have "genuine Horween shell cordovan." Because Horween has been tanning shell cordovan since 1905 I tend to take their advise very seriously and they say to use carnuba wax occasionally to care for your shell. Again in tiny amounts and only when the leather tells me it wants it. Everybody has their own methods. I like mine, but if you find better I say go for it!

Welcome to B&B. I agree with Brian's comments. For me, it's one-two drops of neat's-foot oil on one palm, rub the palms together, then start from the bottom of the strop to the top with my dominant hand, spreading things out lightly and as evenly as I can before bearing down lightly and all the oil is gone from my hand. Then, from top to bottom in the same way with my off-hand. That way the oil feathers evenly from end to end. Then I leave it to absorb for 24 hrs. or so. Before use, I rub the strop with my dominant hand's palm until it starts to heat up a little.

For day to day shaving, stropping on leather is all you need in theory. The cotton or linen or canvas strop is there to touch up the edge from time to time as needed. If a further touch-up is needed, then, yes, you can use pastes. Here's one that works for me:

5 laps cotton or linen or canvas;
5 laps Dovo red or black crayon on a slackened loom strop;
10 laps leather.

Then shave and return to leather only stropping, or repeat one or two times more until the desired edge is reached. More than this means it's probably time to hit the stones.

Ok but what about raw never been oiled cowhide?

Rem700 said:

Ok but what about raw never been oiled cowhide?

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Raw hide? Can you post some pictures? I have a big fat zero experience in using raw hide for a stropping surface. It has some properties that make it really cool for other uses. Wet it and tie something and then when it dries it shrinks and gets tighter and hardens like a stone!

Alum is right. I should have mentioned that you should wait 24 hours post application of Neats foot oil. If you strop on it immediately after it won't feel right. This is for conventional stropping leathers. Short of tanning it yourself I have no idea weather or not raw hide could be used to strop.

Raw as when ordering a side or shoulder of leather.

Rem700 said:

Raw as when ordering a side or shoulder of leather.

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That would be tanned. It should not need anything for a while. If it was mine, make that a long while.

Rem700 said:

Raw as when ordering a side or shoulder of leather.

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OK, that makes more sense. Yes it will be freshly tanned. Do you know what tanning process was used? oil tanned or vegetable? New leather usually needs nothing but palm rubbing for a while unless it has been in storage for a long time.

Sorry for the confusion I said cowhide when I meant leather.

The leather is vegetable tanned.

Oil tanned seems to need no maintenance for a much longer time, but freshly vegetable tanned won't need anything for a while. When the time comes neatsfoot oil will work perfectly, but remember to use only tiny amounts to bring back its original feel.

I used Mink oil.
I had some already for leather conditioning. Worked fine for me.

What would be the tell-tale sings that it would be a good idea to put a bit of oil [Neatsfoot oil] or conditioner on the strop?

Alswan said:

What would be the tell-tale sings that it would be a good idea to put a bit of oil [Neatsfoot oil] or conditioner on the strop?

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Rub your hand over it just like palm rubbing, but concentrate on the feel of the leather. You know what your own skin feels like when it gets to dry, (wintertime, really low humidity). When it gets to feeling like if it was my skin I would want some lotion I put a small amount of conditioner on it. A smaller amount than I would use if I was putting lotion on, but the same idea. I know this is way less than precise, but I do it all by feel. In general terms my latigo strops want a touch only maybe once a year, Split side once every three months, most others maybe once every 6 months. Always remember to start with very small amounts. Adding is easy, but taking away is near impossible. Cordovan is another subject; it gets a wee bit of carnuba wax about once every four or 5 months months depending on how heavily it is being used. I am hesitant to mention these time spans, because these will vary wildly depending on use and the climate where you live. The reason leather ever needs any conditioner is that tanning oils and chemicals are themselves volatile to some small extent. Even motor oil will evaporate to some small degree given enough time. All you are trying to do is replace the volatile components as they leave.

Thanks Brianskeet for the info. I have an idea when my skin gets dry [ or a chap lip ]and need to put on a lotion or something. So then, a good sign is if the leather strop feels a tad too rough and/or dry when rubbing it with your palm. It's something you do by feel and not by time; right? Ie: in 6 months time it's time to condition ( or oil) your strop regardless of it's condition, etc.

Yes sir, always by feel and never by time. I only listed the times as examples of what I usually see.

A stop should not leave dust on the razor when you are done either; if it is leaving 'strop dandruff' behind, it is time for a tiny bit of oil, fat or whatever you like to treat your strops with IMO.

Brian

Alswan said:

What would be the tell-tale sings that it would be a good idea to put a bit of oil [Neatsfoot oil] or conditioner on the strop?

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That too is useful info: thanks BDF.