Thread: Things about stropping I learned the hard way

A public service announcement, in no particular order:

-- Leather is a burnisher, not an abrasive. Linen is a much more aggressive burnisher than leather, and will go a long way toward renewing an edge.

-- If you can feel the edge catching the nap of the linen at the end of your stroke, the linen is eating the edge off. It's amazing how fast it will do this. Use a lighter touch, and begin lifting the razor off before the end of the stroke, while it is still moving.

-- If you have a light to normal beard, try 50xLeather before each shave, and 20xLinen + 50xLeather to restore an edge that's just starting to dull. If you have a heavy beard, try 20xLinen + 50xLeather before each shave. If your beard is the steel-eating nightmare from the blackest depths of hell, try 20xLinen + 50xLeather before each shave, and 50xLinen + 50xLeather to restore an edge that's just starting to dull.

-- You can't over-strop. (well, maybe you can if you have OCD and do 1000 laps, but really, you can't over-strop). If the linen is failing to restore your edge, there's no harm in trying more laps.

-- You don't need linen right after you've honed, leather is sufficient.

-- The 3 rules of stropping are: you need a light touch, you need a light touch, and you need a light touch.

-- If you have a strange fetish for huge meat chopper wedges as I do, even the weight of the razor is too much pressure. I said a light touch!

-- Pull the strop tight. Do not allow slack. For strops that have a linen & leather attached at one end, I always leave the bottom one (the one I'm not using) very slack to insure that all the tension is on the top one.

-- Don't try to go fast. Strive for good technique & consistency. The speed will come when it comes.

This has been a public service announcement