Thread: Stropping

Obviously there are a lot of strop tutorials out there, and I've watched & red most of them, but I have a couple direct questions I couldn't find if you don't mind!

1) I've used the yellow paste in an X pattern on the leather side of the strop and attempted to work it into the strop... should I have also wet the paste to work it in better? It didn't smear much, so I'm not sure if I should add more paste until the whole leather is covered instead of just some smeary X patterns on the strop, etc.

2) Like most folks warned me, I've nicked my strop pretty damn good my first month out. How bad is too bad to use, if there's even a real gauge for that? Near the edges at the end have some quality chunks out of it, but the middle seems fine.

Regardless, I will probably buy a thicker strop - the angle glide of the strop isn't working for me always, I'd like something that covers the blade completely.

Stropping in general has been my weak point in the experience, I have debated if I should get the wood strop so it's more consistent, but I keep hearing stories about how that'll screw up the blade if I do it wrong. Any advice is appreciated!

The yellow is more of a leather protector. So I would eliminate any unsmooth areas. Otherwise don't worry about it. Reapply in a decade if the leather gets dry. Use your hand (and the oil on it) to treat the strop. You can wipe your forehead in the morning and then rub the strop if you have dry skin without much oil.

The razor should not bounce or bound on a strop. If it does eliminate the nick.

You want a wider strop, perhaps, not a thicker strop. It sounds like you need more practice before buying a new one though. There are some good starter strops.

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.

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.