Thread: Strokes on Strop

i have always done a 20/40 strop routine before & after
then I do a good 60/100-150 once a month on all blades weather I have used them or not and check for any rust etc give them all a clean with Ren.Wax rub

I have been shaving for about a year now and still find that I need to slow down my stropping motion to get it right. I only have leather and will generally do about 60 before and after shave. I also wash the blade off with toilet paper to make sure there is no water left anywhere and then a micro fibre rag before taking it to the strop. As I have a fairly coarse beard I tend to give it 10 on green and then 10 on red. This is hydrated with water and brushed onto balsa from Bunnings that they cut up for me, I do this every month or so. OZ is a great source and if he is kind enough to have you visit him a great conversationalist. Take your time and if you can avoid it do not start honing too soon, send it out and get to know your technique first. If you have a mentor this was invaluable to me as I thought I was on the right track but had it confirmed. Just remember, the edge of a razor is only .3 or so micron thick so anything can and will damage it including your beard.

I know how to strop in most of the ways that exist or have been mentioned here.
They all work.
More important is the mechanics of it, ie wrist locked, master the flip, keep the blade flat on the strop, stay relaxed & don't try to pull the strop too tight.

Originally Posted by Obie

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.

Any video of that Obie?

Originally Posted by onimaru55

I know how to strop in most of the ways that exist or have been mentioned here.
They all work.
More important is the mechanics of it, ie wrist locked, master the flip, keep the blade flat on the strop, stay relaxed & don't try to pull the strop too tight.

And if i don't get it right OZ then i will be sending you the results to re hone for me!

Originally Posted by SilverBuddha

And if i don't get it right OZ then i will be sending you the results to re hone for me!

And you will practice till you get it right.

* question on stropping *

Should you "hear" the razor going over the strop? I don't really have to apply any pressure, but a VERY minor change in angle and I get an audible sound when stropping.

Originally Posted by coryschmidt

Any video of that Obie?

Oh, good heavens, I frighten myself enough every morning by looking into the mirror. Making a video of myself would really give me a heart attack. Thank you for the confidence, though.

30 on rough side, or linen, 60 on sharpen. Some razors have a certain note? Hard to describe, almost like steel on steel. If I hear that, I am almost guaranteed I am gonna have a great shave. A bit of slack on the strop seems to make a lot of difference to me, but if you are starting out, keep it taught until you feel comfortable enough to try something different. Like shaving, it is a learning curve, and just as important really. After the shave, I give it another 20 or so on rough, or linen, to dry the blade and get rid of any remaining soap and residue. This also does make sense and helps to maintain your edge. Rust forms really fast, within hours in the right conditions, and when you think about it, shaving is the perfect medium for rust to form. Once you master stropping, you can get a lot of shaves before you need to go back to the hones. The best I have heard from a DE blade is 9 shaves from a single blade. I have a couple of razors that I have had over 60 shaves with and still going strong, with no pastes, just leather.

Obie (my favorite Assyrian, which is akin to "My Favorite Martian" and I expect him to materialize in my shaving den when I least expect it), I have been putting your described stropping method to use. I must say old dogs muscle memories CAN be retrained. It has taken some doing and high concentration but I am getting it down and getting good results. I have added one step to my stropping sequence though that seems to also enhance the edge quality. I start with 6 laps on a chalk loaded linen (the linen side of an old Russian Shell strop that by chance has my last name embossed on it), then 25 on my NOS certifyed line, then 25 on felt, 25/Russian Shell and finish with 75+ (lose count at 70, but who cares) on my 3" English Bridle leather. Smooth is the least I can say about it. As they come up in rotation I am adding the chalk step (but only when I'm sure I haven't used the razor in awhile), did it to a 4/8 Spike wedge and I wasn't even sure I was anywhere near my skin with the end result of smoother than you know what on ice.

Thank you for the new direction. Use to frustrate my ex when I would get stubborn and dig my heels in about any thing until what was trying to be proven to me was proven. Then I would say, "OK" and move in the new direction as if it was always that way.