Stropping practice?

Hi all,

I am pretty new here, I actually have not shaved for the first time yet! I got some vintage blades and have been spending a lot of on and off time cleaning them, a little sanding here and there. Plus the typical newbie restoration mistakes! :)

I don't have any blades that are sharp, but I am about to send them off at the end of the summer. I don't have a strop but I had an idea, and I wanted to see if others thought it would be a good idea.

I am worried that I am going to send my blades to a pro to get them sharpened and since I have never stropped a blade in my life I am going to roll the edge. So here is what I was thinking.

Why not get my stropping technique down with my dull blades on some inkjet paper? I am practicing the spine roll-over with the radio dial motion, and not making any metal singing noises at the end of the stropping stroke. I am working on nice consistent even sounding "whooshing" sounds. No metal sounds. Just started practicing and it did not take me too long to realize that the dull whooshing sounds are what to work for and what others have been talking about on the forum. Just thought I would share how I thought of learning...

please let me know if this is the sound I need to work for, I just want to be sure! Thanks!!! :)

Practice makes perfect! You could also use newspaper both for practice and actual stropping. Here's a thread discussing it.

I'm still trying to get mine perfect, too. However, I'm shaving with mine and I have a Feather to fall back on should I goof the edge.

The one most people talk about is using a table knife on the strop. I am using this method and it works quite well. Very nice so there is no worries of damaging the strop with nicks or even worse, major cuts that destroy the strop. Currently, I am taking my strop to work and with down time I practice using this method.

This method hoglahoo told me about. He said to use a plastic knife (the picnic or cheap kinds offered at fast food restaurants) and simply glide it on a table for practice. I haven't tried this one yet but it will certainly help with practicing rolling on the spine.

I'm sure there are other methods of practicing, too. I certainly hope this has helped you out.

Practicing with one of your other razors is a very good idea, provided there is nothing wrong with the blade that would damage your strop. Don't get concerned right now about sounds and draw. Concentrate on putting just enough pressure on the blade to hold it flat against the strop, and no more. Try keeping an even stroke thoughout the whole lap (down and up the strop, or up and down), in speed and pressure. As you already said, roll the blade over the spine when changing directions.

A word about a razor that has been honed by one of our honemeisters, you should not strop prior to you first shave with it. Just shave with it. After you first shave, you should strop prior to each shave. :nj

There's been quite a discussion recently in the Stropping section of the forum about how much stropping is enough.

Definitely worth the read.

The wiki has real good information on stroping. Using a razor that isn't shave ready can still be sharp enough to slice easily. A butter knife is a good substitute it has helped me but you still must get hands on to get it right.