Hello from Hazard!
Vic Wade; Richard Bader, Middletown, New York; Rudy R. Christian, of Burbank, Ohio; and Donald McCandless emailed us about Item No. 1157. They say it sharpens a straight razor by striking the razor against the leather to sharpen the straight razor. It is referred to as a strop.
Donald said in the 1930s, his father and father-in-law used a razor strap to fine tune a razor every time they shaved. It was two pieces of leather fastened at one end so it could be hung on a nail or hook. He writes, “In those days farmers and coal miners only shaved once a week usually on Saturday or Saturday night. Since the description states center is wood with a leather strap it sounds like another device to sharpen a razor or surgical tool.”
The item was submitted by Wayne Cooper, of Fombell, Pennsylvania.
We’ll move on to Item No. 1158, submitted by Randy Winland, of Prospect, Ohio.
Think you know what the item is and how it was used? Email us at editorial@farmanddairy.com; or by mail to: Hazard a Guess, c/o Farm and Dairy, P.O. Box 38, Salem, OH 44460.
