Thread: I need help with stropping

I had my C-Mon honed by Ken Rup and it when I got it back it was smooth as butter. It sliced though my beard with no problems.

But..... it quickly started to tug and pull a little. So I gave it a touch up on the linen strop pasted with red dovo paste I got from classicshaving.com.

The blade was back and slicing and dicing.

Only to be dull again soon. Obviously it's my stropping that's messed up.

I have watched youtube video after video. Read and re-read the wiki. I've done an x-pattern, I've used light pressure, no pressure, some pressure and hard pressure.

I'm pulling my strop taught. I'm concentrating, I've tried fast strokes, slow strokes and in between.

Still, I go on the pasted side and have a very sharp razor, popping hairs on my arm like they aren't there. Slicing a hanging hair with no problems. but the second I strop it, it's duller.

I have no idea what I'm doing wrong. I can't keep going to the paste or I'll wear my razor out.

I need advice gentlemen.

I have this strop

i have no experience with this strop or the paste you are using, but just to make sure i get this right
- you shaved once and it was good
- second shave the razor was dull? if not which shave you decided it's dull
- did you ever use the linen unpasted?
- after you've used the paste what exactly do you do next? strop on leather? shave?

I have the strop, and the paste. I wouldn't go for either, anymore. Another thing that's probably "ruined" your edge for now: "I've used [...] hard pressure". A razor edge is very, very sensitive. Applying pressure to a razor when stropping, especially when the razor is not absolutely flat on the strop, will inevitably round - and thereby dull - the edge.

Now, I know that some people like small strops, but I don't. Add to that that the Dovo red is "aggressive" (cf Finishing Pastes - Straight Razor Place Wiki), chances are you will end up with a wire edge quickly. Mind you, I'm not saying this combination cannot be used at all (actually, I do, and it works), but IMHO you will need a regular strop with unpasted linen/cotton/webbing.

Since the paste cannot be sensibly removed, I'd recommend getting a new strop, preferably bigger, like one from Tony Miller or Straight Razor Designs. We have some reviews available: Strop Reviews - Straight Razor Place Forums.

Good luck,
Robin

Originally Posted by gugi

i have no experience with this strop or the paste you are using, but just to make sure i get this right
- you shaved once and it was good
- second shave the razor was dull? if not which shave you decided it's dull
- did you ever use the linen unpasted?
- after you've used the paste what exactly do you do next? strop on leather? shave?

It on about the third shave I really notice it's pulling.
No I've never used the linen unpasted.
After stropping on the pasted side I have done three things:
One - I've tested the blade for sharpness with the HHT and on the hairs of my arm. Then stopped and it's not as sharp afterward.
Two - I've stropped on the pasted side and shaved and it was a nice shave. Stropped the second day and it's pulling.
Three - stropped on the pasted side, stropped and shaved and it was ok. Stropped the second or third day and it's pulling badly.

Nothing other than shaving after stropping on the pasted side gives me anywhere near the shave of the razor from the first and second days after having it honed.

Originally Posted by BeBerlin

I have the strop, and the paste. I wouldn't go for either, anymore. Another thing that's probably "ruined" your edge for now: "I've used [...] hard pressure". A razor edge is very, very sensitive. Applying pressure to a razor when stropping, especially when the razor is not absolutely flat on the strop, will inevitably round - and thereby dull - the edge.

Now, I know that some people like small strops, but I don't. Add to that that the Dovo red is "aggressive" (cf Finishing Pastes - Straight Razor Place Wiki), chances are you will end up with a wire edge quickly. Mind you, I'm not saying this combination cannot be used at all (actually, I do, and it works), but IMHO you will need a regular strop with unpasted linen/cotton/webbing.

Since the paste cannot be sensibly removed, I'd recommend getting a new strop, preferably bigger, like one from Tony Miller or Straight Razor Designs. We have some reviews available: Strop Reviews - Straight Razor Place Forums.

Good luck,
Robin

I have thought about this very thing. I think I am going to send it out to be honed again and purchase a new strop.

Joscobo,

As a side point I would watch the angle of the blade against the face when shaving.

I found I was using too large an angle with full hollow blades, and that removed the edges keeness very, very quicky, and also caused some micro-chipping; since moving to a shallower angle (one spine width) all was well again.

Best regards

Russ

Try this:

1) stop stroping on the strop.
2) strop on newspaper over glass plate for 100 laps, see how it goes
3) if step 2 hadn't got you to a nice shave, try 100 more laps.

When you decide to try stroping on the strop again make sure the strop is level with the ground (it's a lot harder to strop right if the strop is not paralel to the ground).

just my US$0,02

Originally Posted by joscobo

It on about the third shave I really notice it's pulling.
No I've never used the linen unpasted.

i would expect more than three shaves, but given the fact that you're new to stropping and you're not using the linen it doesn't sound unreasonable.

i'm not concerned with hht, but with how it shaves so

Originally Posted by joscobo

Two - I've stropped on the pasted side and shaved and it was a nice shave. Stropped the second day and it's pulling.
Three - stropped on the pasted side, stropped and shaved and it was ok. Stropped the second or third day and it's pulling badly.

i don't think you need as aggressive medium as paste, but you don't have clean canvas. perhaps the leather is not enough to clean the edge, but i don't know.

i missed the 'heavy stropping' part, so at this point the condition of your edge is a bit of a mystery.

since kenrup rehones the razors for free, i'd suggest you send it back. while at it ask him what he thinks of the edge. may be it's fine and proper stropping is all it needs.
meanwhile find a canvas strop, or make one. practice stropping - light strokes!!!
when you get your razor strop 50 laps on canvas and 50 on leather before every shave. Also 10 laps on the canvas at the end of the shave.

i think that's the best i can suggest.

edit: you can do the newspaper thing if you want, but i think it won't do anything.

I had some problems stropping with my strop as well, It just didn't seem to get the razor as sharp as I would have thought it should have been. In the end it needed some oil. I know the one you bought said it already comes conditioned, but it might have gotten dehydrated in storage or something. It might be wise to test it. All you need to do is put a little bit of a good quality oil on a small area of the leather and see how fast the oil is absorbed. If the oil is absorbed before your eyes in a few seconds then it will most likely need oiling, however if the oil just seems to sit there or is absorbing rather slowly it should have enough oil. Just a thought on something you could try. I'm not as knowledgeable as the other posters, but just thought that it might be a good thing look into.