Thread: Not clear on how one could nick a strop ...

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I've noticed on a lot of people's strops that I've seen (my early ones too), small nicks on the dominant hand side at the end where you hold the strop. So also be careful to keep the razor parallel to the surface throughout the movement and don't start dropping the elbow.

James.

Sounds like good advice for a golf swing too!

+1 on stropping when tired. Flipped wrong way on my first strop(roo) and that's all folks. Lost 1/3 of the strop. Good thing was home made and had extra leather to swap it out with. That first one got nicked a bit though so wasn't too upset. If you don't nick it Id say you'd be in the minority. Take it slow to start and it'll be much less likely though. Good luck

Don't think you wont nick your strop, you will. We all have for different reasons.

I did it by lengthening my stropping stroke. I hit the reinforced built up area at the end of the strop with the razor spine. The razor bounced back toward the strop edge first and "BINGO" a nick. It's definitely possible and seems to happen just when you don't think it will.

Originally Posted by Brenngun

I did it by lengthening my stropping stroke. I hit the reinforced built up area at the end of the strop with the razor spine. The razor bounced back toward the strop edge first and "BINGO" a nick. It's definitely possible and seems to happen just when you don't think it will.

So my goal will be not to avoid nicking the strop but merely to see how long I can go before I get my first nick!

Both. Try to avoid it but will probably happen and that is no biggy . We've all done it. Good luck

I reckon, with tender care and studiousness, that it is possible to never nick your strop. The problem is those littles rushes of blood to the head, or those small moments of distraction, or a tad of overconfidence.

I've found it can be a humbling hobby.

James.

My question is do those little flaps of leather dull your razor when you pass over them?

Originally Posted by Jimbo

I've noticed on a lot of people's strops that I've seen (my early ones too), small nicks on the dominant hand side at the end where you hold the strop.

Those are the cuts I was making when I first started stropping last year. I also made a few cuts on the top part of the strop due to quick & bad blade flipping. I sure learned to be careful quickly after that. It's a good thing I got a cheap strop to learn on.

Originally Posted by Vegita182

My question is do those little flaps of leather dull your razor when you pass over them?

They can dull your razor. I had minor very ones, that were not deep, so I could easily peel them off. I've read about others having cuts so bad that they had to fix them with rubber cement or something similar.

The first time I stropped my newly acquired Wade and Butcher, I scarred up the surface of my strop. There was a burr on the heel of this "shave ready" blade when it was delivered. Even with my keen machinist eyes I didn't notice the burr while examining the blade before stropping.

Now I run every newly honed blade over a stiff leather strop. I keep this ugly unruly strop around just for this purpose. It's great for knocking off a burr before it gets to my good strop.