Razor Grip while stropping...

Hi all, I've been trying to practice using a strop on a junk razor of mine before my good strop and razors get here. I'm having a terrible time with the grip on my razor though. I'm gripping the strop between the middle and ring finger with the index and middle finger under neath the strop, but my grip on the razor is terrible! it keeps rolling in my fingers. I keep trying different grips but nothing seems to work. The hardest part is when I try to roll the spine of the blade on the strop. Just can't seem to hold on properly and the angle on my wrist is really uncomfortable. Can anyone give me a grip I can try? Thanls alot! Ray:thinking:

Place the blade flat on its side on the horizontal strop at the farthest point away from you and with the edge facing away from you, holding the tang between your thumb and index finger, and push the razor towards you with your index finger. When the spine reaches the closest point to you, roll the razor over on the spine, not the edge, with your thumb and index finger, so that the edge is now facing towards you and push the razor along the strop with your thumb. When you get to the other end, roll the razor over on the spine between thumb and index finger and repeat.

I use my index finger at the bottom and my thumb to hold the razor and then roll the thumb flipping the razor back and forth. The only thing that moves in my hand when I strop is my thumb, everything else, wrist and all (there may be some movement of the other fingers in the hand) is still. I will try to post pictures of my grip later.

Al raz.

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Originally Posted by rrp1501

The hardest part is when I try to roll the spine of the blade on the strop. Just can't seem to hold on properly and the angle on my wrist is really uncomfortable. Can anyone give me a grip I can try? Thanls alot! Ray:thinking:

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I have the same problem. The tang on my blade is rectangular and 4mmx9mm. It doesn't make for easy rolling. Why don't they make this bit circular like a pencil?:thinking:
One thing that can help a little is to flex your wrist down when you turn the blade edge away from you. Means the blade itself needs to be turned less.

This barber textbook excerpt on honing and stropping helped me out. It says that you should not turn your wrist. The book recommends practicing by laying the razor on the strop and turning the blade with your thumb without stropping until you are comfortable with turning the razor. I hold the razor with my thumb on the tang and my fore and middle finger underneath on the spine. :gl:

Hi Guys,

I am attaching a couple of pics of the grip I use when stropping. The first picture is when I am pulling the blade to me or to from top to the bottom of the strop. Then I roll on the spine and the second picture is when I am pushing the razor away from or back to the top of the strop. Key is to keep the razor very flat across the strop with minimal pressure.

Hope this helps.

Lynn

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Originally Posted by Lynn

Hope this helps.

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I think it will. The angle of the scales helps too. :tu

Lynn, you've got them razors lined up like soldiers to the right there. :D

This is how I grip both strop and razor:

Attachment 18726

A close up of my razor grip used while stropping:

Attachment 18727

I keep the scales in line with the blade, and a very loose grip with the last three fingers supporting the handle. Most of the work is done with the thumb and index finger.

Scott

A great piece of advice I read in one of the barbers' manuals is to flip the razor between your thumb and forefinger with the thumb on the edge side of the tang and the forefinger on the spine side, trying to keep our wrist stationary throughout. Works for me.

X

This will certainly help my technique. I've noticed though that it looks like my strop is not hanging perfectly flat- the surface seems to be a little concave so that only the edges of the strop come in to contact with the blade. I'm sure this is not great for my edge.
It's a brand new strop with a handle, so I'm fairly sure I'm not holding the strop incorrectly. I'm trying to condition it by rubbing it down with my palm. Hopefully that will flatten it out a bit.
Anyone else ever experience that?

Kenneyty,

Look at the photo of how I'm holding my strop in my post above. Grip your strop the same way, just above, or right at, where the handle attaches to the end of your strop. See if that helps.


Scott

This really helped me on my stropping technique. I had to go into the bathroom and try it out, it was a lot less awkward to strop all in a sudden.

I grip the razor as in this video.
YouTube - Flip a razor for stropping.

I have to confess I don't always dry my hands thoroughly before stropping and that may be a big part of the problem. It seems much easier doing a dry run outside of the bathroom. (Pun unintentional but appropriate.)