Thread: Does Stropping Speed Matter?

I just found the following post by ben.mid today. The link he suggests is chock full of good info on stropping speed from AFDavis.

Originally Posted by ben.mid

Stropping speed does make a difference, however there's no use being fast if the technique is shoddy.
I think it's about the precision 1st, & then the speed will follow.
Here's an interesting post on stropping speed. By the man above incidentally.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...xperiment.html

Notice that a light touch is required & this is where you just can't try to rush. Your own pace is whatever it is & it will improve the more you strop.

Oh, & about 90 laps/min & improving here!

It has been linked several times lately, I guess it needs to go into the wiki at some point, eh?

Sorry, I didn't vote.
Accuracy can't be sacrificed, but stropping needs some friction and some momentum. After all, steel, however marginal, needs to be displaced. That calls for an energy transfer between the strop and the razor. I'm sure if someone would write the scientific equation on that one, speed would be one of the variables. In fact, I think speed is the factor that allows us to increase the friction without increasing the pressure (an thus without deflecting the strop or the edge).

Bart.

I think you need a certain minimum speed which really isn't too fast just to establish a good cadence however old time barbers stropped so fast you couldn't see their hands move but that was kind of like a show to the customer. I think you can go too slow to have any effect but like I said thats tortoise like slow.

Man there's some serious brain power here at SRP. Whod'a thunk a bunch of red neck straight razor shavers would be so smart?

Seriously, though... I always thought I was a pretty smart guy, but I'm humbled by the intelligence of a bunch of you guys around here.

Originally Posted by honedright

I voted yes, as I do believe that faster is better. But the poll questions imply that speed reduces accuracy. Not in my case.


Scott

Dude, you rock! Someday I hope I get the chance to sit down with you and really absorb what you know.

Maybe we should start our own forum section, we could call it "The Barbers Corner"

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Dude, you rock! Someday I hope I get the chance to sit down with you and really absorb what you know.

Maybe we should start our own forum section, we could call it "The Barbers Corner"

Alan, someday, if ever that SRP convention materializes, that would be great. I'd love to share what I know, and learn from others, in person.

Barbers Corner...I like it! If you've followed my many postings you know that I am a barber shop antiques and history buff. Anything related to barbers is cool with me.


Scott

Originally Posted by Bart

Sorry, I didn't vote.
Accuracy can't be sacrificed, but stropping needs some friction and some momentum. After all, steel, however marginal, needs to be displaced. That calls for an energy transfer between the strop and the razor. I'm sure if someone would write the scientific equation on that one, speed would be one of the variables. In fact, I think speed is the factor that allows us to increase the friction without increasing the pressure (an thus without deflecting the strop or the edge).

Not sure I buy that Bart. I think the main contribution of speed in this context would be zero (static friction) or non-zero (kinetic friction). After that there may be some difference due to plastic deformation of the strop surface. If we imagine the strop surface to be pliable and bumpy then at a faster speed (same downforce) the razor may "skim" across the tops of the bumps rather than slower when the bumps have time to deform and flatten slightly. If there is any effect like this then going slower would result in more friction due to more surface area being in contact.

Originally Posted by Bart

Sorry, I didn't vote.
Accuracy can't be sacrificed, but stropping needs some friction and some momentum. After all, steel, however marginal, needs to be displaced. That calls for an energy transfer between the strop and the razor. I'm sure if someone would write the scientific equation on that one, speed would be one of the variables. In fact, I think speed is the factor that allows us to increase the friction without increasing the pressure (an thus without deflecting the strop or the edge).

Bart.

Originally Posted by Quick

Not sure I buy that Bart. I think the main contribution of speed in this context would be zero (static friction) or non-zero (kinetic friction). After that there may be some difference due to plastic deformation of the strop surface. If we imagine the strop surface to be pliable and bumpy then at a faster speed (same downforce) the razor may "skim" across the tops of the bumps rather than slower when the bumps have time to deform and flatten slightly. If there is any effect like this then going slower would result in more friction due to more surface area being in contact.

I'm starting to wonder how I ever made it through college.

Originally Posted by Ben325e

This is the ugly intersection of theory and practice, floorpizza. A paddle strop, while maintaining a much flatter surface than a hanging strop, also has the drawback of not having any "error absorbtion". It's hard to strop effectively on a paddle strop just as fast as you can on a hanging strop.
The error absorbtion is this: if you slightly tilt your razor to the side with a hanging strop, the strop surface typically leans with the razor, up to a point. That means when going fast, you don't have to worry about maintaining perfect levelness with your razor.
if you are using a paddle and lean the razor a few degrees, you aren't making full contact with the bed of the strop any longer. Instead, you are stropping on the edge of the leather, and that's no good. Kind of the same reason why we bevel the corners of our stones.

I just got a new 3" Heirloom (linen and Latigo) from Tony Miller about two weeks ago. I had been using a flatbed Latigo hone from Hand America up to this point. The above quote is very accurate in my experience after using both systems. The hanging strop is a little longer and forgiving as far as angles. Also, over time the edges of the flat hone have ever slightly cupped up. I have tried to mitigate this problem by making sure I use an 'X' pattern with my strokes, but the short runway and solid bed make it difficult to attain any smoothness of stroke and maintain contact between edge and leather with any precision.

Could it be "smooth is fast, and fast is smooth" for the above stated reasons; longer runway, forgiving angles and suspension? Maybe speed is a sign of smoothness of action and confidence. I don't know if the heat generated by friction has an effect or not.

When it comes down to it, I strop faster and my razors are noticeably better shavers after using the hanging strop.