Strop Annihilation?

I've read a number of posts about newbies cutting, mutilating, shredding, and otherwise violating their first strop or so. Being new myself this makes me worry.

From the videos and written instructions I've seen, stropping doesn't seem like it should damage the strop at all. The advice is to go slow, avoid pressure on the cutting edge, experiment with pressure, roll over the spine, etc.

I've only been doing it for a couple of days now, but I've not had any problem following these instructions, at last to the point I haven't rolled my edge or cut my strop.

Should I expect that in the future I'll begin to make strop annihilating mistakes? How common is it really for noobs to destroy either their edge or strop? Am I having an easier time because the strop I bought is 3" instead of two? Is it because I relish doing it slowly, as I do my entire routine every day?

Any input from those more experienced (not a super high bar) is appreciated.

Stropping and shaving are very similar.

If you drop total concentration, you will pay.

I was stropping and shaving for quite some time before I brutalized my strop. Dave hit the answer head on. It is all about paying attention and not letting it wonder.

OTH some people are just naturals I guess.

Bob

I should have chosen the username StropSlasher because I destroyed three of them at the beginning.
I finally learned to go slow, pay attention, and to make sure that I had flipped before reversing direction.

But even with care, most likely you will eventually damage a strop. Accept it and realize that there are threads on the forum that tell you how to fix a damaged strop.

Oh, and I'm strop damage free for a year now. :)

Often times things that seem deceptively simple turn out to not be so. If you're not the ham handed type it will be easier but either way it takes coordination.

Also, like they said if you aren't in a concentrating mode better use a DE not a straight period. One way to think about it is if you nick the strop that may alert you to pay attention and it may help you avoid nicking yourself with a razor.

Most folks are influenced by TV/movies and try to imitate “Actors” stropping. But in almost everything, Hollywood never gets it right.

Want to cut your strop? Talk with someone while stropping, it does not take much to disrupt your focus. Talking on a cellphone and driving…

You are doing it right, but not cutting your strop is just the first step. The next step is to maintain the edge and then improve it. You could say, “I drove a race car around the whole track at 40 miles an hour and did not crash, I’m ready for the Indy 500.”

Just keep up with what you are doing, you will get a feel for stropping. I tell folks, the first 3 months the goal is to not damage the edge or the strop, 3-9 months, no damage and you can maintain an edge for at least 3 months, 9 months to a year you begin to actually improve an edge.

So while your goal now is to do no damage, a year from now you will rate your stropping skill, by the quality of your edges and smoothness of your shaves.

After a year you have only stropped 365 times. A thousand perfect repetitions develops a motor skill, Perfect repetitions, otherwise you are practicing…

As above. If you go slow and pay attention you'll be right. Then one day you get cocky and let the attention slide and bang, you've nicked the strop. Keen Han Solo's advice close to heat " Great Kid. Don't get cocky".

Could also watch Razor Guys Mastro Livi school vid on stripping. Here Livi advises to use an x-Stroke and take the razor off the strop completely, roll in the air and then bring it back to the stop in the correct position for the next pass. Can't nick the strop and jimps/spine work won't damage the strop either.

Today, I double checked my stropping grip and the nose of the razor scraped the far end of the strop. I guess now that's out of the way...

From what I read since it is so minor and toward the end of the strop there's no repair needed. I'll post pics of the disaster when I get out of work.

Plenty of threads on strop repair if you need em.

Bob

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BobH

Plenty of threads on strop repair if you need em.

Bob

---

Yeah, there are! I read a few of them this morning.

Probability of strop damage really depends on whether your a dexterous person by nature and of course you have to pay attention to what you are doing. As others have said strop slowly at first until you get your muscle memory programmed keep the spine on the strop at all times and do not use anything but gentle pressure and you probably will avoid a large disaster. Nicking your strop from time to time is to be expected when starting out but I feel hacking your strop in two is unlikely unless your that ham handed.
Rolling or damaging an edge happens only when you bear down like a Gorilla or lift the spine during the stropping motion. Be reasonably gentle with your strops and razors as they are instruments of finesse and need love and attention. Otherwise they will turn on you and you will pay a price.:p

If it aint broke dont fix it.
Keep talking about it and you will jinx yourself.
Roll with the flow. +1 bigspender said.
Or just add alcohol and you will start to break things in a ratio of alcohol to problems.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ultrasoundguy2003

If it aint broke dont fix it.
Keep talking about it and you will jinx yourself.

---

In this case it would seem I spoke too soon. I'll keep being careful and enjoying the peace only mindfulness can bring.

Shaving is therapeutic now! I can't fathom why sr shaving ever went out of popularity.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by arfman2882

I can't fathom why sr shaving ever went out of popularity.

---

Simple, DEs were easier to learn and use, they were maintenance free and you didn't have to learn/do stropping and honing. Most people liked that idea.

Bob

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BobH

Simple, DEs were easier to learn and use, they were maintenance free and you didn't have to learn/do stropping and honing. Most people liked that idea.

Bob

---

Well, I don't agree with them. Most peopleonly care about getting everything over with so they can go on to the next thing. Thus society has developed into a rushed, joyless, succession of chores. We hates it! Hates it, my precious! [emoji35]

As soon as you get too comfortable you will cut one to shreads:)
In all seriousness, that is good that you got the hang of it quickly! It took me awhile and I did ruin my first hanging strop...
Just remember to always concentrate while doing anything with a razor!

Here's the best pics I could manage.

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...85e51c1014.jpg

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...838f75e5af.jpg

There are 2 tiny nicks with flaps above the scratch and to the left, but for some reason they won't come through in the pics.

That doesn't look like a big deal. If its a small nick just sand out the high spots or if its a big enough flap add a drop of glue applied with a tooth pick or something under the flap let dry and sand it smooth. Plenty of guides on how do do this on the forum. This wont impact any stropping performance that I can see and in general this kind of damage isn't critical. Fix it and carry on.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by arfman2882

In this case it would seem I spoke too soon. I'll keep being careful and enjoying the peace only mindfulness can bring.

Shaving is therapeutic now! I can't fathom why sr shaving ever went out of popularity.

---

My brother in law is a perfect example why our beloved pass time has gone out of popularity. He is a guy who hates shaving to him its a nuisance a waste of time and wants it over with as quick as possible. Not all folks see the value in spending a half hour fiddling with shave gear strops, hones, soaps, brushes and risking laceration as fun. I imagine many feel as he does. i personally think they are crazy.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Razorfaust

My brother in law is a perfect example why our beloved pass time has gone out of popularity. He is a guy who hates shaving to him its a nuisance a waste of time and wants it over with as quick as possible. Not all folks see the value in spending a half hour fiddling with shave gear strops, hones, soaps, brushes and risking laceration as fun. I imagine many feel as he does. i personally think they are crazy.

---

I second the crazy. People need to learn to stop and smell the roses. If it's not shaving, which I'm willing to accept, it's gotta be something.

There is documented evidence that such past times are beneficial. Hopefully everyone can find something to fortify their sanity.

I felt as he did until I hard mention from a friend he was considering srs. I became curious why anyone would do it. That was the beginning of the end for me...

Yup, the blade was still moving forward when you flipped, and the corner of the blade scratched the strop, then the blade bit into the strop and cut the flap.

Glue the flap down with rubber cement and a toothpick, it will be fine.

Stop the razor fully before you flip and slow down… flip with your fingers not your wrist. Hold the tang on opposite corners and use your thumb like flipping a switch.

I fumbled the razor before I made the first stroke. Just clumsiness damage. Lesson learned.

I treated the strop with mink oil this morning. I'm excited to see how it changes the feel and draw of the leather.

The mink oil healed the tiny flaps and the draw is a little heavier. Shaving was ultra comfortable today thanks in part to that wonderful strip of leather!

I have proceeded to slightly nick my strop on three separate occasions now. Glad there is so much info on it's inevitability on the forum. I'm a little obsessive about things, so others similar experiences have helped console me in these times of sorrow and self doubt.

I think it's something to bask in and enjoy. You can see your mistakes and in time, hang up the chopped up strop and remember where you started. My first strop is full of memories and I am more careful with it than my 3" SRD strop.

Well, nicking the strop is amazingly easy to do. It also shows you just how sharp that razor really is. Mine got a couple of war wounds in the first couple of days, luckily a little sandpaper and/or a tiny bit of rubber cement can fix those nicks or flaps quickly and easily. After a while you won't even think about it, muscle memory will take over and all will be well.

Gah.. I was so proud of myself for not wounding my strop on my first two attempts. Then, three or four nicks magically appeared in the last two days! It's embarrassing, but it's also why I bought two strops right off the bat.

Nicking the strop has happened more than I would like. But, hey, live and learn.

this thread is interesting to me. i've been having a hard time explaining why i'm trying to learn the art. in large part, i think it's because of the focus and mindfulness that's required to not make a serious mess of everything. seems difficult to come by those opportunities these days. insightful posts, folks. helpful
thanks!

Confucius Say: Show me a man that says he's never nicked a strop and I'll show you a man who has never stropped a razor.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by drzebra

Gah.. I was so proud of myself for not wounding my strop on my first two attempts. Then, three or four nicks magically appeared in the last two days! It's embarrassing, but it's also why I bought two strops right off the bat.

---

The thread is like Kyptonite. It has made me slow way down on my stropping

Everyone cuts the strop at least once in their life my friend.

Thankfully my first strop is no longer with us, and even if it was, it would tell you lies. :) Patience is key, and beauty marks add character.

My first nicks appeared just when i thought i really had it down. I'm glad they are there. A reminder that i will ALWAYS need to concentrate while stropping.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by ReardenSteel

Thankfully my first strop is no longer with us, and even if it was, it would tell you lies. :) Patience is key, and beauty marks add character.

---

Did you at least finish it quickly, or did it suffer?

Well, we don't all obliterate our first strops. I'm still working with mine. But it isn't without it's minor war wounds. There are a few nips at the edge from flipping the strop with a razor in my hand. A couple of hairline nicks from flipping a little early recently. And a few from just generally fumbling with the blade.

Somehow I've avoided cutting the linen entirely - and saying as much probably put a jinx on that. The linen will probably have a wound before the week is up.

I'm pretty ham handed, but I literally can't afford to cut mine up so I have to pay more attention than I might otherwise. That would dig into my whisky fund, and we can't have that! :rofl2:

It's funny: the day after I started this thread is the first time I nicked my strop. I imagine it had something to do with unfounded confidence in my own physical coordination.