Thread: Weird stropping issue.....please help!

First, let me say thanks in advance to anybody who can advise me on the issue I'm having.

I am fairly new to the straight razor, but had previously been shaving with a DE for the past five years. I decided to make the switch and purchased a Dovo Shavette about 3 months ago to try and somewhat get the hang of shaving with a SR. I had become pretty decent with it, so went ahead and purchased a Boker Edelweiss a week ago, along with a 3" Latigo strop, some razor oil and a razor sleeve. I received everything yesterday and since I've watched a million videos and read a million posts online, woke up this morning and was ready to go......yea, not so fast!

I had absolutely no issue with cutting the strop with my blade, the issue came with the spine of the razor shaving vertical grooves into the leather. No matter how lightly I tried to strop, every now and then I'd be picking shards of leather off the curve of the spine. Obviously this isn't the way it's supposed to go, right? Now I've got these long vertical grooves in my strop that I've had now for two whole days. Is the strop ruined? Can it be repaired? Should it be repaired? Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Thanks again!

I'm sure the strop can be repaired. If the scratches are really light but clearly visible I have found a stiff rubbing with a cotton shirt takes any of the frayed leather off. As far as some deep scratches you may need to sand it. I used a worn dmt 1200 on a strop with no ill effect. As far as using sand paper or anything that can lodge particles in the strop I would be wary of. Some guys with better experience will chime in soon. In the mean time address the sharp edge on the spin with some 2500 grit wet dry then polish it back out with mothers.

Not an expert, but please post pics of both the strop and razor. Definitely not how it's supposed to go. More experienced gents will chime in soon I'm sure. Pics will hopefully help them get a better idea if the problem. I also have never repaired more than small nicks in the edge of my strop with sandpaper and then conditioner. Again others have much more experience of such.

Ignore me, better advice while I was writing.

Although I might contact the seller of the razor before sanding it. That really does not sound right if the edge of the spine is that sharp.

Sounds like more of an issue with the razor then the strop. Was your made shave ready by the factory or vendor? What type of strop is it? Did the scratches happen the first time you stropped? Did you shave with your razor first or strop it before first shave? Pics will help. Take pics of the spine of the razor and the edge.

You need to post some photos. Did you strop on the cotton/linen side of your strop first? Does it have a cotton/linen side? Are there rough edges on the spine? If there are, but not too severe, tape the blade edge of your razor then strop on the cotton or the rough leather side of your strop to smooth these off before going any further. If the spine has severe jagged edges, return it from whence it came! First time I've ever heard of a Boker having problems like that.

Quality close up photos of spine and strop damage will help lead to a definitive answer.

As far as I can see in vendor pictures, the Boker Edelweiss has no fancy spine work, so it would be good if you could post a few pictures of both sides of the razor and the damage on the strop. What you are describing makes no sense to me unless there is a burr on the spine of the razor, or the strop had some pre-existing issue.

Sounds like the leather has some kind of dry rot. Bend the strop like it was a belt you were going to give someone a spanking with and see if it has any little cracks on the smooth side. If it does the leather has aged with out being conditioned, and example is old horse reins that have just hung in the barn for years. The strop maker may have gotten some old leather and didn't know it by just looking at it . Just a thought

Run the edge of your fingernail along both sides of the razor spine where it contacts the strop. If the spine is causing the scratches, then the defects in the spine should be catching your nail.