saddle soap?

metalhead · 07-16-2008, 12:31 PM

will saddle soap hurt a strop? im pretty sure mink oil or polish will so not even goin to try that. and figured i would ask you guys before i did anything with the soap. and if it doesnt hurt what are the advantages/disadvantages

nun2sharp · 07-16-2008, 03:06 PM

Saddle soap is great for your strop, as it is for most finished leathers, it is mild, non abrasive and conditions. I highly recommend it. Once your done with the cleaning and the surface of the strop has had time to air dry (no heat/no sun) apply a coat of neatsfoot oil to keep it supple.

Silver · 07-16-2008, 06:02 PM

+10 on the no heat front, it will just dry out the leather and cause cracking. In the same respect remember to feed the strop occasionally like Nun said to make sure it stays supple.

metalhead · 07-16-2008, 10:02 PM

is there anything other than neatsfoot oil that i can use?

Wildtim · 07-16-2008, 10:09 PM

Mink oil, lexoil, ball glove conditioner.

Chris L · 07-16-2008, 10:27 PM

Just remember that neatsfoot, saddle soap, etc will darken the appearance of your strop. This is only an aesthetic issue rather than a performance issue.

I have some buffed horsehide strops that are uniformly colored and untreated. Even the littlest drop of water will permanently discolor those strops (unless the entire strop is resurfaced). Performance wise the discolorations have no ill effects whatsoever, but...you get the idea.

Chris L

thebigspendur · 07-17-2008, 02:27 AM

I'm not crazy about saddle-soap. Saddle-soap is really designed for saddles which are made from very tough hard leather and is made to take abuse. saddle-soap can dry out other leathers. lexol and Bick make leather cleaners which are much better for cleaning softer leathers like strops. Bick is my favorite. Its like a gel and you use no water and its ph balanced to match the leather. After that you would use your favorite conditioner.

PuFFaH · 07-18-2008, 09:22 PM

Saddle soap is fine for strop as long as you make it into a very thick lather and the soap is glycerin based. Don't soak the strop with water. There are some soaps out there that carry conditioning oils in their make-up, which is what I use and this type covers all the renovation in one step. Saddle soap is a term for conditioning soaps used for the maintenance of saddlery inc all harnesses etc, so I'm not arguing with hundreds of years of practice.

PuFF

kelbro · 07-18-2008, 10:45 PM

Saddle soap works fine as long as you don't soak the strop. Build up a little lather on the surface, scrub a little, wipe it off. You don't need to get the leather sloppy wet for it to work.

johnny_angel · 07-22-2008, 04:04 AM

What are you using saddle soap for? Did the strop fall in a mud puddle?

The only thing I've scrubbed with saddle soap is dirty leather. Boots, motorcycle jackets and dog leashes. It works fantastic for those things.

it probably wouldn't damage a strop since I've never seen it damage anything, I just wouldn't use it because I don't see the purpose. If you want to lightly clean the strop I'd recommend a light scrubbing with the same lather you use on your face. Froth it up real well and scrub the strop with a piece of scotchbrite, then buff it lightly with a terry cloth. Always worked for me.