Thread: Question about how newbs butcher strops

I've read more than a few posts where one of the seasoned members say that starting out you will cut up your first strop pretty bad...

I'm curious if this is due to accidentally leading with the edge and/or turning on the edge at the end of a stroke when you're still learning your stropping technique?

Or is there some way you could damage the strop even with the blade trailing and turning on the back at the end of your stroke?

Just when I thought I'd got the hang of it, I forgot to flip the razor. *zzzzzzt* *ding* Heavy cursing ensued.

stropping is a reflex it will take time to learn. This doesn't mean you have to go buy bad strop and wait until yo learn how to strop. Person just can take anything and train himself how to strop and then buy a good strop. As soon as your hand gets used to strop you will be safe. just exercise on something else first.Check this person how he train himself to learn strop .
http://straightrazorpalace.com/newbi...-practice.html

hope this helps.

It was turning the razor over at the end of a stroke that did it every time for me. Eventually I practiced just turning the razor one way and then the other while it was on a newspaper on my knee and finally got the hang of it.

It will come along ans you practice more. I didn't get more than two minor nicks, then it becomes a distant memory as you move forward. That strop is still in business and will last years.

Pabster

I'm sure I'll get it with practice and i plan on practicing with a simulated strop, I was just curious if it was possible to cut the strop even with proper blade positioning.

Follow up question: I see the preference around here seems to be red Latigo leather. any reason red is preferred over black or is the color purely aesthetics?

When the edge is sharp, it can happen. Some of us are just not as smooth as we think.

Color, Red vs. other, personal preference - thats all.

Good Luck!

Pabster

The traditionalist in me made me order a Red Latigo strop from SRD. It left the USA last week so I'm curious about how long customs will hold onto it ...

The first big cut on my strop happened when I started to think I was getting good at stropping, hence you increase your speed and dont turn the razor in time and the leading edge now is the blade and slice.

One alternative is to buy a cheap ebay razor and make sure its dull and practice away. Takes a few weeks to get the reflex down pat after that your strop has a change of living a long and happy life.

Crom

The razor can't stop. And on the flip it has to be consistently moving in the correct, spine leading direction. Its like making a car do a U-turn backwards. Your intuition tells you to stop half way around.

The razor has to continue moving spine forward even as you flip.