Thread: Round Two

Alrighrt,

I Stropped linen 50 laps and leather 30. I held the angle on my face around 30 degrees. I still have stubble and I look like I just walked out of an alley brawl.

I think that the issue is sharpness (or a lack thereof). I have a new strop and razor. When I was stropping there were leather and linen shavings on my blade. Am I messing up the angle on the strop?

Allen

What razor do you have, where did you get it and who sharpened it?

A s a side note, I do about 12 laps on linen and then 60 on the leather before a shave.

X

I bought a Dovo 6/8 pre-sharpened from Classic Shaving.

Maybe I flipped the stropping ratio from my other thread "Less than Perfect". Would that mess up the edge?

Allen

Strop carefully too with very little pressure. Be sure to give yourself the mother of all beard preps too. Hot towel, lather, hot towel. lather, hot towel and lather again. Then we can rule that out as well.

X

It is weird that you have linen and leather on your blade. This may seem stupid, but are you properly stropping with the blade trailing? Your blade should be flat touching both the spine and blade to the strop.

Start out slow making sure to keep the strop taught and your pressure light. Always keep the spine on the strop (this will keep you from rolling your edge).

I also think the ratio is backwards. More strokes on the leather is what is recommended.

Originally Posted by mziter

It is weird that you have linen and leather on your blade. This may seem stupid, but are you properly stropping with the blade trailing? Your blade should be flat touching both the spine and blade to the strop.

Start out slow making sure to keep the strop taught and your pressure light. Always keep the spine on the strop (this will keep you from rolling your edge).

I also think the ratio is backwards. More strokes on the leather is what is recommended.

yes it sound like you were using the "honing stroke" (edge leading) during your stropping... try keeping the spine and edge flat on the strop and stroke so the the spine is heading in the direction the razor is moving

Boy do I feel dumb.

I was stropping blade in front (honing). Have I done any damage that a propper stropping won't fix?

there is a very good chance that the edge will need a touch up... but first give it 50 laps on the linen side followed by a hundred or so in the leather... then give a little test shave and decide

Originally Posted by Biscuits

Boy do I feel dumb.

I was stropping blade in front (honing). Have I done any damage that a propper stropping won't fix?

You're lucky you didn't cut your strop in half! Strop it properly and you should be okay.

X

I am surprised that you were able to strop with the edge leading and not do major damage to your strop.
Try stropping with the edge trailing at least 50 times on the canvas and 100 times on the leather. Try a shave. If the razor pulls on your beard, then you may need a touchup by a honemeister.

Welcome to the straight shaving. Let us know if we can provide any further help.