Thread: Slower Stropping Stroke

I was already stropping when I read the excerpt on stropping from the 1961 barber manual here. I loved the suggestion to flip the razor on the strop without doing the stroke. Learning to coordinate the flip with the thumb and forefinger without bending the wrist seemed such a good idea.

I stropped carefully at a moderate pace in the beginning. I can go quite fast now but I don't strop as fast as I could preferring what I feel is an effective speed. I can actually strop faster than I can count the laps but I think that is way faster than necessary or even desirable.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I was already stropping when I read the excerpt on stropping from the 1961 barber manual here. I loved the suggestion to flip the razor on the strop without doing the stroke. Learning to coordinate the flip with the thumb and forefinger without bending the wrist seemed such a good idea.

This is what really seemed to "fix" my stropping and get rid of the occasional and painful strop nics for me.

Using my wrist, i had a problem of occasionally "smacking" the razor down on the strop.

That barber manual is GOLD!!!

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I was already stropping when I read the excerpt on stropping from the 1961 barber manual here. I loved the suggestion to flip the razor on the strop without doing the stroke. Learning to coordinate the flip with the thumb and forefinger without bending the wrist seemed such a good idea.

I stropped carefully at a moderate pace in the beginning. I can go quite fast now but I don't strop as fast as I could preferring what I feel is an effective speed. I can actually strop faster than I can count the laps but I think that is way faster than necessary or even desirable.

...well, now i'm good and confused about honing
how does allowing the blade to lead on a honing stroke sharpen it?

Originally Posted by jehan60188

...well, now i'm good and confused about honing
how does allowing the blade to lead on a honing stroke sharpen it?

I'm not sure I understand the question. Referring to honing on a stone, the edge leading stroke removes metal. The object being to form a perfect V which would become a sharp cutting edge if it is accomplished.

Originally Posted by jehan60188

...well, now i'm good and confused about honing
how does allowing the blade to lead on a honing stroke sharpen it?

Stropping and honing are accomplishing different things. Honing as stated above will remove metal on the stone with the edge leading, stropping is basically only alinging the sharpened edge.
[anyone PLEASE correct me if i'm incorrect in saying this]

Well, I tried to keep it slow, but it is hard to get the same sound on the upstroke and down stroke. If I feel that my technique gets worse when after several passes, I just start over.

I think a little bit of a quicker turnaround makes me less likely to move the blade while it is resting at the end of the strop, thus fewer nicks. Also a quicker turnaround helps me get the same sound on the upstroke and down stroke.

Just an update! thank you for the replies.