Thread: Honing Problem

Could someone please chip in and give me some advice.Last christmas I ordered a Dovo straight and strop from Tony Miller, which came shave ready. I started to strop the razor and have been able to get reasonable shaves, although not as close as my de. I have even honed the razor twice. I just cannot get it as sharp as I feel it should be.I feel maybe I may not be stropping as I should.I also purchased Lynn Abrahms dvd. but although it shows how to strop and hone there is still a learning curve.Can some one try and explain in more detail how best to strop for example do you start to move the spine forward on the strop before lowering the blade down on the leather, and likewise before you stop do you lift the blade up off the strop. Hope I am making sense.

Regards Alan

That's how I do it .

A senior member here to me explained it best. Stroping is like honing. Only with the spine leading. Keep the razor flat on the strop. Do not lift it up., use your thumb and forefinger to turn the razor. keep the strop taught. Practice, Practice, Practice. Patience, and go slow.

My 2 cents

Phil

I too am a newbie and going through the same ritual of learning.

I am getting better but I would echo floridaboy, go slow. When I slowed my honing and stropping speed by half, paying very very close attention, I immediately starting seeing better results. Not the edge but definitely moving in the right direction. At least they are now usable.

Good luck,
Cabo Sailor

This has been posted on quite a few times and I believe there are avi's of people doing the stropping motion. I will brief it for you though:

Lay the razor lightly on the strop at the hand end with the spine of the razor facing up the strop. Now move the razor slowly and with light pressure up the strop to the hanging end. 3/4's of the way up the stroke think of the turn. This is done by starting to lift the cutting edge off the strop but maintaining full contact with the spine on the strop. 7/8's of the way you should have the razor so the spine is is on the strop and the cutting edge is 90 degrees to the strop, this is when you will start the return stroke back to the hand end of the strop. With the razor in the 7/8 position you start to pull the razor back towards yourself while at the same time lowering the cutting edge back to the strop surface and maintaining full contact with the spine on the strop.
You repeat this at each 3/4 mark on the stropping stroke. Try not to use all the strop surface while you are learning but keep to a comfortable stroke length that allows a margin for error at either end. Go slow and steady and concentrate on what you are doing and don't be fooled into speeding up till it feels fluid and "right". Lets say; count (1..2..make the turn 3) (4...5...make the turn 6)...etc.

Hope that helps

PuFF

Thanks Guys

I spent tonight slowing things up and I think it has helped.I hear people talking about the razor singing. As the edge improves I seem to notice there is a scraping sound that becomes louder, is this correct? is this positive.

Regards Alan

You have to have intent with what you want to do with your razor. You have a goal and you must understand the fundamentals of that goal. When you strop your razor what is your goal? What are you trying to get the blade to do? You must examine the purpose of stroping, then you can see what it is you have to do. The stroping is a touch up of the blades edge, a maintenance procedure to re-align the edge so to speak. The pressure here is minimal in that you are not looking to strop the main part of the edge, but the very fine edge that you should take a look at under a magnifying glass. This fine edge is what you are adjusting, thus, you should use a pressure that would correspond with such a fine edge.

The singing happens when the stars are finally aligned for you, but slow down, strop with intent to align the finest edge, watch that pressure, and work evenly throughout the blade. Don't pick up the razor! Roll it over and proceed, develop a rhythm, breathe, be alert, watch the pressure! Remember, equal amounts on each side of the blade. Enjoy it, learn it, master it.

Hope that helps!

Originally Posted by ijerry

The singing happens when the stars are finally aligned for you, but slow down, strop with intent to align the finest edge, watch that pressure, and work evenly throughout the blade. Don't pick up the razor! Roll it over and proceed, develop a rhythm, breathe, be alert, watch the pressure! Remember, equal amounts on each side of the blade. Enjoy it, learn it, master it.

Hope that helps!

Wow, Jerry! That's fantastic, almost romantic prose about stropping.

Originally Posted by Jfala

Wow, Jerry! That's fantastic, almost romantic prose about stropping.

Thanks, I suppose that the entire process is an intimate experience, which is what keeps us appreciating the art of straight razor shaving. All processes are equal, and all maintain a learning curve that is to be both respected and appreciated. Every small accomplishment just renews our love for the art. Wouldn't you say?!

We are emphasizing stropping here but: if the razor is not sharp you won't get it sharp enough by stropping only. You need to hone it sharp and stropping between shaves merely helps you keep it sharp.