Thread: 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

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.

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

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?
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.

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

Originally Posted by Lynn

Hope this helps.

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

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

This is how I grip both strop and razor:



A close up of my razor grip used while stropping:



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