taking care of a linen strop?

[justalex]

Hi guys, I've been looking around the inter fishing net and people have different ways of cleaning their linen strops.

I was wondering, being coticule users and linen being so crucial to the coti honing, that I better find out how to clean and maintain my two linen strops - a flax strop and cotton strop - as there seems to be a lack of any maintenance of linen strops and plenty for the leather strops - popularity I guess.

And also, what do you do if there's a knotted thread sticking up on the strop?


regards Alex

 

[Bart]

The issue of cleaning a fabric strop is covered in the article about stropping.

I'm not sure what you mean with "knotted thread sticking up", but anything that raises above the surface (which should not occur with a quality linen strop) can best be shaved off with a sharp knife. An old razor might actually work very well for that.
Do note that a woven fabric can start to unravel, should you completely cut off one of it's threads.

Kind regards,
Bart.

 

[justalex]

thanks Bart thats what I was worried about, unravelling threads. My search skills need a bit of practice, google didn't bring it up with the rest of the cleaning strop entries.

thanks again Bart, regards, Alex

 

[TM280]

I think we could mention Emmanuel's magnet suggestion again. Not perhaps as a cure all, but definitely a good start to cleaning.

About the thread sticking up. Any weave is going to have anomalies based on the quality of the thread, but Bart is right, higher quality usually doesn't have this type of problem (depending on the fiber).

Don't cut it, it will eventually unravel. Take a pin or needle and press the raised knot into the fabric as deep as possible. If you can hook it from the backside, just give a good tug.

regards,
Torolf

 

[Emmanuel]

I agree with Bart and Torolf completely. My thread <Keep your linen clean> link:
http://www.coticule.be/the-cafeteria/message/22777.html
Best regards
Emmanuel

 

[justalex]

Thats a great tip emmanuel, I'll give that a bash. My white cotton strop is getting blkack already after having it for 3 months.

Have you any solutions for bobbles on the strop? I seem to be getting them as well.


kind regards Alex

 

[Emmanuel]

Torolf is more specialist than me . But if the linen is removable you can sink it in a solution of warm water and clear wood ash. Then you can clean it by pure soap and once dried you can of course give an ironing eliminating any bobbles.
If your strop is not removable cover the leather by a food wrap (membrane) and clean the linen by a wet soaped tissue .Once is dried remove by suction, vacuum the soap residual.
Best regards
Emmanuel