Thread: Draw - what is it?

The word "draw" is used alot when talking about stropping. I've tried, but cant figure out what this is. What exactly is draw, and what is good/bad about it?

Thanks.

I noticed this was not in the Wiki's FAQ in such a way as to be easily found, so I amended the entry this morning: FAQ - What is Draw?

This is how I describe it:

Draw is the suction sensation that can occur between some razors and some strops during the action of stropping. The degree of draw is often gauged by experienced users to help determine the qualities of both the strop and the particular razor's edge that is being stropped.

Experienced users, feel free to amend and correct It's so easy, even a caveman could do it! (login here)

As you strop, you may feel some resistance to your stropping motion that seems to come from beneath the razor, pulling it to the leather like a vacuum. I believe that is exactly what is happening, and that is the draw. Some strops like those made of latigo leather will exhibit this more strongly than strops made of other material such as horsehide, and some razors will also produce this more easily than others. I generally find wedgy razors to be less prone to producing this sensation than full hollow ground razors.

I tend to think of draw as the amount of resistance when pulling the razor along the strop. The more "pull" and resistance you feel, the more draw you are experiencing. This of course only makes sense if you are using minimal pressure. I suppose you could get as much resistance as you'd like the harder you push!