Thread: Took my time and 200 perfect strops.....What a difference it made the blade

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Don't take our word for it, those will come along saying 20 laps is fine!

Yea, that's double what you need, but it all depends entirely on the condition of the edge off the hone. If 1,000 passes on a strop feels better, go for it! When I started out I used 100 to 200 passes on linen and 60 on leather. Now I can settle out a razor (with lots of stropping) and just strop a touch before each shave.

I'm a slow stroper, and have no desire to strop at lighting speed like you see so many guys do. I've seen first hand someone who just couldn't get it out of his head that stroping fast was just so cool. He kept coming back to me saying, the edge you put on my razor is so sharp, and then after I strop it, it goes bad. I show him exactly how he should be doing it, nice and slow, and he still flails away with a limp wrist.

Stroping correctly will make or break a newcomer to wet Shaving. Concentrating on that blade laying flat, and going slow is key..... did I say it's KEY!

Keep at it! Your following the right path.

If it is beneficial, more power to you. I'm using a homemade strop right now.
I would like to eventually get a good strop with fabric, then one with compound.
I dont think I've ever read a post where someone wished they had stropped their blade less before using it.

I must say that I am becoming a convert (may my Hebraic ancestors forgive me) to 'excessive' stropping. Of late I have increased my daily ministration to roughly 120 on English Bridal leather (3"). I may start dividing that up between an old horse shell (2-1/2) and the English. And as soon as I can get my Lipman running (I'm a slow starter, Tom) I'll add that to the mix.

A wise friend from this forum told me that LOTS of leather passes could make all the difference in the world. He was right.

However, I am a very impatient (and slow) stropper, because I can't wait to move on to shave. So, instead of my normal (15 linen, 50 leather), I tried just a few linen passes to make sure the edge was clean, then, much as I like that "zip" sound on fabric, I started trying 10 on rough leather, then 25 minimum on a heavy draw (roo that I messed with too much with neatsfoot) and then at least 100 on a medium/light draw of which I have several choices ("Un-polluted" roo, english bridle, good basic SRP leather). I was amazed at the shaves I got when I started doing that.

Try it, you'll like it.

I have nothing productive to add; I just thought this was an interesting read. I'd like to have a stropping progression. Unfortunately, I need to expand my soap beyond this Van Der Hagen I'm trying to use up before I get "variety" in strops .

Time to bookmark another thread...

Originally Posted by Crawler

I have nothing productive to add; I just thought this was an interesting read. I'd like to have a stropping progression. Unfortunately, I need to expand my soap beyond this Van Der Hagen I'm trying to use up before I get "variety" in strops .

Time to bookmark another thread...

Well, do lots of reps upon anything smooth you have! Give the old VDH a few drops of glycerine!
Instant upgrade!

Stropping was somthing that I learned the hard way- ruined a couple of strops and several edges before finally getting it down! It does make a huge difference, I noticed that as my stropping got better so did my shaves...

Well without this thread I would have never know.
My name is Shaun,
and I am an excessive stropper.
No progression but I strop at least 100 on leather before every shave after 50 on felt.

Originally Posted by RezDog

Well without this thread I would have never know.
My name is Shaun,
and I am an excessive stropper.
No progression but I strop at least 100 on leather before every shave after 50 on felt.

Like Shaun, do what works for you and makes you happy.

As is the usual case in this forum, the right answer is in your head, not someone else's noggin.