Improvements in Razor Strops and in the Manufacture thereof.
Year: 1894

page_text: Date of Application, 9th Mar., 1894-Accepted, 21st Apr., 1894
COMPLETE SPECIFICATION.
Improvements in Razor Strops and in the Manufacture thereof.
We WILLIAM TRUMAN and HENRY HARRIS both of 164 Aldersgate Street,
London, E.C. Gentlemen, do hereby declare the nature of this invention and. in
what manner the same is to be performed, to be particularly described and
ascertained in and by the following statement :-
Our invention relates to Improvements in Razor Strops and in the Manufacture
thereof and has for its object to so construct the afore mentioned articles that
they can be cheaply produced, while a finer and keener edge on the razor can be
obtained.
According to our invention the razor strops are constructed of a material not
heretofore used for that purpose, the said material being folded in a special manner
so as to avoid edges or ridges, while the folded portions are secured or cemented
together by a special composition which, while effectually fulfilling the purposes
of a cement, at the same time acts as a lubricant for, and increases the cutting
properties of the said strop.
In carrying our invention into practical effect, we take a strip of the material
well known as "moleskin" and fold the longitudinal edges of same over until
they meet in the middle where they are cemented down, thus forming a
strip of moleskin of half the width but of double the thickness of the original
strip. A strip of leather of the size of the folded moleskin is then placed at
the back of same in the ordinary manner, the two ends being covered with a tab
or tag of leather and are rivetted together, the said ends being furnished with
the usual rings in the ordinary manner.
The cement for securing the moleskin, which is an important feature of our
invention, consists of Castile soap 50 per cent., Russian tallow 25 per cent., and
beeswax 25 per cent. The tallow and beeswax are slowly simmered together until
they are thoroughly melted when the Castile soap is added, the whole being well
stirred and allowed to cool when it is then ready for use. This cement is spread
over the moleskin and serves for securing same, and further permeates through the
said moleskin acting as a lubricant for and keeping the strop in good working
order for a number of years.
Although we prefer to use moleskin for one side of our improved strop, it is
obvious that any other material such as canvas or the like may be employed,
which would be folded and cemented in a similar manner to the said moleskin.
In order that our invention may be more fully understood, we will now proceed
to describe same with reference to the accompanying drawings in which
Fig. 1 is a plan of our improved razor strop, Fig. 2 a side view of same and
Fig. 3 a cross section through the leather and moleskin.
Like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the drawings:
Our improved strop consists of a strip of moleskin, canvas or other suitable
material m the longitudinal sides m¹ m² of which are turned over towards the
middle until the edges are just flush with one another when they are cemented
down by the composition herein before described, thus no ridge or raw edge of
material with which the razor may come into contact is formed. Below this strip
of material is placed the leather strip / the ends of both being covered with tags of
leather c the whole being secured together at either end by the rivets r the said
ends being furnished with the usual rings & c. g g in the ordinary manner.

page_text: Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said inven-
tion and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what 1
claim is :-
1. In razor strops the use of moleskin in combination with the improved method
of folding and the cement, substantially as herein described and shown and for
the purposes specified.
2. The improved method of folding the moleskin or other material which may
be employed, substantially as described and shown and for the purposes specified.
3. In razor strops the cement composed of the ingredients and in or about the
proportions herein stated, substantially as described and specified.
4. The new or improved razor strop arranged and constructed substantially as
herein described and shown.
F. G. CASSELL,
Of Cassell & Co.,
22, Glasshouse Street, Regent Street, London, W.,
Agent for the Applicants.