# When is it time to replace a strop



## tywalt (Dec 13, 2017)

Curious when you guys know it's time to replace a leather strop. Normally I replace my strops every year or so when I notice the shine on my chisel and plane blades start to diminish… but it's always kinda been a "feeling" and there is a solid chance it is just in my head and the new strop really isn't any better. I made a new strop last night and started to wonder if anyone has an actual method that I could apply to my madness.

Background on my kind of strop: I typically glue a nice piece of 1/8th inch leather to a piece of 8×3" MDF and attach a little foot to hold it in my vise. I always go "rough" side out as well, seems to hold more compound for a longer time for me.


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## BlasterStumps (Mar 13, 2017)

I have both a strope like what you describe and a 6" disc type that I use on my motor driven sharpening unit. Think disc sander only in a horizontal mode. I use the board mounted type every once in a while but not that much. I have stroped a whole lot of plane blades and chisels on the disc type. So in my thinking, the use of the disc type strope, because it is being spun at 1750 rpms, is way more than a hand strope will get in many moons I believe. I have not noticed any performance issues with it except that I caught a sharp edge and took a small gouge out of the leather. As long as I don't tear it up, it should last for a long long time IMO. I use the green compound and it will polish to a mirror finish in a short order. I also placed the rough side of the leather out in both strops I have made.


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## Scap (Aug 7, 2018)

From the perspective of a straight razor user, strops last a lifetime as long as you don't let them dry out or, as mentioned above, accidentally cut them.


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## MPython (Nov 30, 2018)

This ^^^. Good strop last forever.


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## CaptainKlutz (Apr 23, 2014)

Replace a strop? Only if damaged….

If a strop gets hard/glazed to point where it stops taking compound and is not working well, there is a simple method to revive leather without replacement. 
: Apply some neats foot oil available from most any decent shoe store, and work it into leather. Should soften it up and put it back into service.

If it is heavily glazed with polishing compound, use a dull card scraper and clean the surface before conditioning.
Even dry 50 year old leather can be brought back to life. Use some saddle soap to clean, and neats foot oil to rejuvenate.

YMMV


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## Phil32 (Aug 31, 2018)

One of the problems with thick leather strops is they will deform under heavy pressure and allow rounding of the cutting edge. Barbers used a light brushing motion to hone their straight razors. Since it is important that the strop surface be flat, many of us have switched to thin leather on a very flat backing, or cereal box cardboard on glass. In any case do not use excessive downward pressure when stropping.


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