Thread: Strokes on Strop

100 strokes on the leather pre-shave, 60 linen, 20 leather post shave....YMMV.

I'll be the odd ball here. I use an SRD modular paddle strop, which comes with magnetically affixed changeable pieces of smooth leather, rough leather and 2 felt pads for pastes/sprays. My daily routine is 15-20 on the rough leather and 60-70 on the smooth leather pre-shave, and 10-15 rough leather followed by 30-40 smooth leather post shave. I have one piece of felt treated with the Crox crayon from SRD and one treated with the diamond spray that also comes with the strop. I use the felt ONLY WHEN the razor pulls and needs a refresh. Generally I try the Crox, and then go to my regular strop routine. If that doesn't work well enough, I do the diamond sprayed felt, followed by the croc, then my regular stropping routine. On the felt, regardless of spray/paste, I am very careful and "under-do it" -- only 4-7 laps each.

It's very easy and convenient with the modular paddle, which is why I mostly stick with it, although I do have a 2 1/2" black latigo and poly webbing strop that I use occasionally, generally for the same number of laps that I do every shave.

By the way -- I always use an X stroke regardless of the width of the strop.

Gentlemen,

Some years ago, when new at straight razor shaving and stropping, I met an old time barber whose stropping technique I found unusual. He stropped holding the blade at a medium angle with the point leading on the up-stroke and the heel on the down stroke. Not only that, but he used only about seven to eight inches of length on the strop, manipulating the razor between thumb and index finger while keeping the wrist almost locked. He gave an explanation of why he found this method optimal, but I don't remember it.

I have stropped that way since then with superb results. Recently, when I read a thread in which Mentor A.F. Davis, whom I consider a pro in strops and stropping and whose opinion I respect, brought up this method of stropping, reaffirming my decision to emulate the old barber.

That's the method of stropping I use. Since I use only about seven inches of length on the strop, manipulating the razor between the thumb and the index finger with the wrist almost locked, my stropping count ratio is higher on both linen and leather. What's more, I truly enjoy stropping and the rhythm that puts me in a state of zen. Ordinarily before the shave, I strop 50 strokes on linen and 150 on leather with no pressure, holding the strop taught but allowing a hint of a sag. After the shave, 15 strokes on linen and leather each further clean and dry my blade.

On my Kanayama #3 I typically do 25 laps on the suede component and 50 laps on shell (leather) side pre-shave and then 25 laps on shell after totally wiping razor with dry towel and toilet paper between the scales and blade/tang. Perfectly dry and clear edge prior to next days activity. Repeat daily. I rarely have to touch up my edge with barber hones or pasted strop.

you could potentially need a refresh after your first shave if you really stuff up the stropping, or you could go months if your stropping technique is good. if your stropping technique isnt bad, but also not good your edge may drop off slightly too.

personally all i do is app 100 laps on leather post shave.

Obie, on first read of your post I thought, "What, up stroke with the edge leading? Cut the strop in half right off the start." Then I re read until my befuddled mind (not enough coffee yet) realized that up stroke was spine first with the toe ahead of the heel making it a diagonal position on the strop, flip for return stroke with the heel ahead of the toe. Basically isn't that half of an x-stroke with the end result that smoothing is in one direction on each side? I'm making an assumption here - this method means you don't have to move the blade in an imaginary x-pattern on even the narrowest of strops, just up and back because of the angle alignment of the razor on the strop.

Correct me if I am wrong.

Razorfeld,

You are correct. Yes, the razor moves diagonally, with the spine, of course, and with the toe leading, and returning in the opposite way. So, sure, in essence, your X-stroke is partially minimized. This stroke is also most comfortable for me to manipulate the razor between thumb and index finger as if I had a pencil in hand.

Also, since the wrist is locked, my stropping motion is smooth and refined, thus allowing me to increase my stroke counts to, usually, 50/150 without putting additional stress on my wrist. Sometimes I have caught myself stropping some 200 times on leather, because, as I noted, I enjoy stropping. As long as you strop correctly, the additional strokes are not going to hurt.

Will the higher count prepare my edge better than a lower count? No, of course not. Who is to say? Find a linen and leather strop ratio, whether low or high, that works best for you. What matters most is being diligent about stropping — and stropping correctly.

Going to adjust to your method. I've been doing a figure eight motion which is effective in essence but lousy when the pivot hole isn't firm and the scales flop back and forth. Not about to stop and tighten up a pivot pin right before I'm going top shave a face full of lather. Seems like your method will keep the blade and scales in moe of a locked position than not.

About the refreshing part,
When I first started I had to use CrOx about once a week and a 12k refresh about once a month.
As my stropping and shave technique improved, the time between refreshes got longer.
I'm about 4 months into the shaving with a straight and it has been about a month since I used CrOx.
YMMV.

Check out an old post entitled "The Grand Experiment" on the stropping forum.