[hi_bud_gl]

Does anyone knows reasonable side to buy strop dressing for conditioning.thank you

[fpessanha]

Hi!

I didn't fully understand your question, but here's my own view on the matter: lots of companies make and sell strop dressings. I never used any dresings or creams meant for conditioning strops. I found out - because I've always used leather shoes... - that Nivea Hand Cream (the one in the little blue tub) is very good for conditioning leather. With that in mind, I decided to condition my strops with that same cream. I find it to give a nice smooth finish, hydrate the leather and give the strop a bit of draw... It's very good to hydrate and soften a strop after repairing some nicks...
Just apply with your fingers in a evev circular motion, rub it in and then buff it up with a clean cloth. Let it air dry and there you are!
I like it a lot and think that it can be an alternative to strop dressings... I could, of course, be wrong... But other more experienced guys will chime in and say their minds!

Hope this helps!

[JohnP]

No arguments with the hand cream idea here. Most strops are already conditioned before you get them, so it may not be necessary to have "dressing" in those cases, still....There are several versions of strop dressing made, the bottle of Illinois strop dressing is basically a lotion, and the same thing can be found in a shoe store. The stuff Dovo gives out with their strops (the yellow tube, not the abrasive stuff) is basically just grease and lanolin of some sort. Most of our vendors who sell strops also sell dressing, but as you may have surmised, it isn't any special trade secret.
Another product that works extremely well is mechanic's hand cleaner (the non abrasive "Goop" or "Gojo" kinds). Just a dab, rub it in all over the strop and give it a day to dry after wiping the excess, and you're set. Afterwards, just the oil from your hands is often good enough.

John P.