Thread: Stropping Draw

Question about draw on the strop...

Given the same razor and the same strop, as the razor edge realigns, do you get more or less draw? I ask because sometimes the draw seems quicker than other times, and I'm not sure why... I also get a bit more of a raspy sound with the slower draw...

My initial take is the greater draw is associated with a sharper/realigned edge (it seems like I'm getting more draw and more rasp later into the stropping) but that doesn't make much sense to me...

Cheers,

- HJ

You get more draw as stropping progresses, but it doesn't really have anything to do with the edge aligning, but with the nap of the leather getting pressed down and providing more friction. If the razor is sharp, then it will get sharper during stropping, but the increase in draw is simply correlated with the increase in sharpness; I do not believe there is really any causation. A butter knife has the same effect when stropped, without getting appreciably sharper.

I have a pace at which I strop my Dovo and when the raspy sound becomes consistent, I know its where I want it to be. I do it after shaving, 25 - 30 passes on the canvass and 40 - 60 passes on the leather strop. The raspy sounds consistent and usually at 40 - 45 pass mark on the leather. It starts to sound off and thats the signal to me that I have the blade where I want it. It took about 10 shaves and stropping sessions with my Dovo to figure this out.

I do add another 20 passes on the leather just before I shave - just my habit.

I do not concern myself with the draw.

Good Luck!

Pabster

Also some strops like horsehide have little or no draw to them at all no matter how sharp a razor might be. After I hone up a razor initially I never use a horse strop I always use my TM red latigo. It has loads of draw to it.

this term has always escaped me; what the heck is draw?

It's just the friction between the blade and strop.

Originally Posted by kevint

this term has always escaped me; what the heck is draw?

http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...tml#post303793

Originally Posted by BeBerlin

Stropping Draw - Straight Razor Place Forums

I am not sure if you meant to link this thread but you did.

well Sir, I already read it

Originally Posted by kevint

I am not sure if you meant to link this thread but you did.

well Sir, I already read it

Apologies: http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...tml#post303793

I like moderate to no draw. When I first came around there were some saying that they thought that if a strop had no draw it wasn't doing anything. Others disagreed since the horsehide generally has little compared to the latigo. I found the latigo requires a light touch to my hand. I have to be more careful when I am using it. I don't have an opinion on whether one is more effective than the other. I use both just in case but I really like horsehide. Just a personal preference.