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New Shell Cordovan Strop

I just got a new strop. It’s a 3 inch wide Shell Cordovan and real Flax Linen. It’s very beautiful, and quite pleasant to strop on. It’s made by a fellow in the U.K. named ‘Alastair’. He operates from his FaceBook page. Look for ‘Westholme Strops' if you’re interested.

What I'm wondering is how to care for the Cordovan. Until I know the proper method, and what to use on it, I intend to just rub it with my palm. Is there more to it than that, though? Any strop/leather experts care to join in? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.


Thanks,

Bruseth

‘Kenny’

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Don't use anything on it other than the palm of your hand. Oil will collect dust and create gunk. When you need to clean it use a wet cotton washcloth water only. Never a dry cloth which will scratch it. If you go to AFramesTokyo Takeshi discusses cleaning Cordovan which is where I got these instructions.
 
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Thanks for all the replies. Yeah, I had read that on his site. I just wanted to know if there was anything to add. I guess not ;-) it’s pretty simple - just plain water now and then when it gets ‘gunked up’.

Thanks again for all the help. Great forum, this.

I think you misread. There is no "and then when it gets gunked up." You clean maybe once a year wit with plain water on a soft cotton washcloth. There is nothing else. After the water you let it dry where you hang it. Then rub with your palm and start stropping again. I did it and there is no difference in draw/feel.
 
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I have cordaven and mine with use developed a kind of film on the leather it's hard to describe. I carn,t for the life of me remember the name of the polish but I,m sure it's called malms its a high qaulity car polish . Jarrard at the superior shave sent me some and it made my cordaven like brand new, contact him and he,ll give you the name. This polish was recommended by the guys that make the cordaven and it works fine. other than that use your hand no other conditioner.. Just the polish that jarrard recommends at superior shave .

gary
 
I have cordaven and mine with use developed a kind of film on the leather it's hard to describe. I carn,t for the life of me remember the name of the polish but I,m sure it's called malms its a high qaulity car polish . Jarrard at the superior shave sent me some and it made my cordaven like brand new, contact him and he,ll give you the name. This polish was recommended by the guys that make the cordaven and it works fine. other than that use your hand no other conditioner.. Just the polish that jarrard recommends at superior shave .

gary

+1. I have one of the WH Horween cordovans that had become a little glazed over with wear. Jarrod, who sold me the strop, sent me a small phial of the car polish/wax to retouch it with, gratis. Did the trick. I'll look over my old e-mails to see what it was, if I find it. In the meantime, "caruba wax" is what springs to mind from memory.

Edit: I found the old e-mail. It is Malm's concentrated carnuaba wax. Here are Jarrod's recommendations in any case:

Use a lightly moistened sponge, just like you were waxing your car (it is Malm's concentrated carnuaba wax, btw, what I believe in the car detailing industry to be the oldest+best name, rather like the Peter Luger's steak of their world). One of those tiny ~5ml vials will last the rest of your life. Scrub the high traffic spots well, let it haze over, and then buff with a soft flat-weave style cotton cloth, like an old-fashioned baby diaper.

Again, this refers to the Horween shell Cordovan, which may be different from some of the other Cordovan strops that are out there. This one has a kind of plating to it, not unlike a patent leather shoe.
 
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+1. I have one of the WH Horween cordovans that had become a little glazed over with wear. Jarrod, who sold me the strop, sent me a small phial of the car polish/wax to retouch it with, gratis. Did the trick. I'll look over my old e-mails to see what it was, if I find it. In the meantime, "caruba wax" is what springs to mind from memory.

Edit: I found the old e-mail. It is Malm's concentrated carnuaba wax. Here are Jarrod's recommendations in any case:

Use a lightly moistened sponge, just like you were waxing your car (it is Malm's concentrated carnuaba wax, btw, what I believe in the car detailing industry to be the oldest+best name, rather like the Peter Luger's steak of their world). One of those tiny ~5ml vials will last the rest of your life. Scrub the high traffic spots well, let it haze over, and then buff with a soft flat-weave style cotton cloth, like an old-fashioned baby diaper.

Again, this refers to the Horween shell Cordovan, which may be different from some of the other Cordovan strops that are out there. This one has a kind of plating to it, not unlike a patent leather shoe.

Thank you, and Gary, for the great tip. I’m going to have to acquire some of this for ‘just in case.’ I found Malm’s website, and I’ll see if I can get some from there.

Thanks again for the tip. I appreciate it.

bruseth

‘Kenny’
 
It's a brand new strop. Don't want to do anything to it other than strop with it. Maybe in a year you might want to do something other than the palm of your hand.
 
Don't use anything on it other than the palm of your hand. Oil will collect dust and create gunk. When you need to clean it use a wet cotton washcloth water only. Never a dry cloth which will scratch it. If you go to AFramesTokyo Takeshi discusses cleaning Cordovan which is where I got these instructions.


I think you misread. There is no "and then when it gets gunked up." You clean maybe once a year wit with plain water on a soft cotton washcloth. There is nothing else. After the water you let it dry where you hang it. Then rub with your palm and start stropping again. I did it and there is no difference in draw/feel.

It's a brand new strop. Don't want to do anything to it other than strop with it. Maybe in a year you might want to do something other than the palm of your hand.

OP, you should pay careful consideration to what Avenolpey is saying. He has answered your question correctly. If you put wax on your Cordovan strop, you might as well have a cowhide strop with wax on it. You're paying a premium for Cordovan. Let it do it's job.

Palm rubbing only. Barely damp soft cloth if it gets "dirty". The only departure from this I've ever had to resort to is massaging very dry (very little water) tallow lather into a very old and dry vintage strop. Yours is neither.

The manufacturers who have been at this game with Cordovan strops for a while will recommend to you only palm rubbing and the occasional barely damp cloth wipe down.

Good enough for Nick Horween, good enough for me.
 
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Water won't remove the film that's produced from this type of strop. The polish that jarrard recommends is that of what the manufactures of horween recommended . You piutthe polish on buff it of and there is no wax left on the strop it just removes residue and makes the strop look brand new. Either way just Palm rubbing and water if you like . The polish is not greasy or waxy it drys quik and buffs of. I have used it several times on my cordaven which cost a bomb and I have had no probs at all.

Inhave ve had my cordaven for 4 years now and the polish that was recommended to me by jarrard works a treat I only treated my strop 3 x in four years.

gary
 
Horween recommends that you not over polish cordovan, but they do recommend the occasional use of a carnuba wax based conditioner. The one Gary suggested fills the bill nicely. No leather can go forever without care. Most people over do it, but a small amount occasionally is a good idea.
 
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