Thread: Stropping

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

If you mean a paddle strop you won't screw up the blade. Who told you that? Stropping with a paddle is a little different, but not much. I would stick with a hanging strop. You'll learn soon enough and the extra length is a bit of a help.

Apologies, Wider is what I meant, not thicker! I had read in some of the forum questions that with the paddle, there was a larger potential for damaging the blade faster, if I had bad technique. I have a small bathroom, I was thinking a paddle might be easier on the counter, and less potential to veer off.

I'll look for a wider (3") beginning strop. I purchased a 2" x 13" Dovo when I bought the razor, and I'm just not good enough with the x pattern yet, I feel like I'm not sharpening it as good. Thanks for the insight!

Although a paddle strop will certainly work as an everyday strop, they are typically used as a pasted strop to refresh the edge. A hanging strop works better in that there is more area for the blade to be worked. To get the equivalent blade stropping on a paddle strop you would have to use more strokes than you would on a hanging strop. If you don't have a hook to attach your strop get some string and use the door knob. I purchased a ceiling hanging plant hook and put it in the wall so I wouldn't end up pulling the hook out of the wall over time. I bought a 3" Latigo from SRD and love it.

I started with that Dovo strop, too. I still don't like it. The main problem is that it is too short for a hanging strop in my view. Get something longer, and preferably wider. SRD has some nice strops whose individual parts can be replaced. While they are expensive, any damaged parts can be replaced for a reasonable amount of money. The review section for strops has many more options, though.