Quote Originally Posted by Savage View Post
I have a new 5/8 Dovo straight razor and a W. Claubert 1/2 that I inherited from my great-grandfather that isn't really sharp enought to shave with. I'm using a Dovo strop like this

I have read widely on this forum and other websites so I think I understand the principles. I always strop with the cutting edge trailing and turn the blade over its spine, as I'm new at this, I strop very slowly.

I started on the Claubert (so it didn't matter if I dulled the blade) and didn't have any problems so figured I could move to the Dovo. When I strop the Dovo, I'm seeing fine lines in the leather side of the strop on each turn, almost as though I'm cutting it. I haven't cut the strop yet but am concerned that if I do, it'll be ruined.

I don't believe that I'm pushing the blade once I've turned it for the return stroke, but that's certainly what it looks like.

The Dovo is plenty sharp enough to shave when I've finished.

Any advice gratefully received. Thank you.
Unfortunately it seems to be VERY easy to cut a strop. In my experience, either I cut it or I feel the stropping is too light/not good enough (a classic noob mistake).

There is a video that shows slow motion stropping, I think. But when I do slow stropping, that is when these fine line cuts seem to happen. Fast stropping, of course, led to a huge cut on my practice (thanks Tony!!) strop.

The secret is that while stropping, you should already be going in the reverse direction once you start flipping the blade. Or at most, halfway thru the flip, you should be going the other way. [1]

If you start going the other way only when completely flipped over, you will cut the strop, if the razor is sharp enough.

[1] The downside of this is that when I do it, the blade never gets very long to be flat against the strop, since I'm almost done with the return stroke by the time the blade touches again..

I'm new to this, so take this fwiw, with a grain of salt.