Thread: Strop position

Started off using the hook on the back of the bathroom door, about eye level (I'm 6'5") in my old house in New Hampshire. Intrigued by the recommendations for a waist-high mounting, I ran a heavy eyebolt into a stud and used that for a couple of years. On a weekend visit to some friends, I had to make do with the hook on the door again, and found that I actually prefer it. In my new house in Virginia, I use the hook and have never looked back.

Depends on what's going on I suppose. I have a small handful of strops that hang at eye level on the bedroom wall to keep them out of moisture of the shower. So if I'm in a rush I may pick them up and use them right where they sit. The pasted strop I made from some SRD poly webbing generally doesn't move off it's hook, I just use it right there.

In the bathroom I've got a hook mounts a little above waist level. That's my preferred level for most stropping. If I'm using linen & leather, not in a rush, or refreshing with pasted fabric on the interior of a strop that's the one I use. When travelling I'll generally find some way to make a cord loop so I can mount the strop on a door handle. I've always got some paracord or something similar lying around.

I have mine a little higher than waist height. That feels the most comfortable

Mine is hung at about mid way up my torso. I'm 6'1" and I like to run it like that. Slightly uphill

There is a reason why many of the old timers hold the strop at about waist level and have their anchor lower than waist level. Such a setup requires a minimum of out of plane shoulder and elbow movement and is more fluid and natural in practice. Pay attention to the quiet shoulder and elbow of Liam Finnegan in this video.(Ignore the floppy strop) Try it yourself and compare it to how much more shoulder and elbow movement is required in other positions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h1GC34yyKE

Could that be more of where in the heck else would you hang it in a barber shop? Low on the chair?

I think that much of the barber shop actions are theatrics.

Slightly uphill hook position. For me, this position is the most comfortable especially on the "return" strokes. So "away" stroke slightly uphill, "return" stroke slightly back downhill.

Originally Posted by Wirm

There is a reason why many of the old timers hold the strop at about waist level and have their anchor lower than waist level. Such a setup requires a minimum of out of plane shoulder and elbow movement and is more fluid and natural in practice. Pay attention to the quiet shoulder and elbow of Liam Finnegan in this video.(Ignore the floppy strop) Try it yourself and compare it to how much more shoulder and elbow movement is required in other positions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h1GC34yyKE

What is most impressive about that video is how close he comes to his strop-holding hand with the razor! That would lead to major blood loss if I were doing it.

Beautiful razor. I'm sure it will shave as well as it looks.