Thread: pressure when using the strop?

Davey,

+1 on markevens suggestion of Shams (hi_bud_gl) video.

During a stropping doldrum, this video really helped me to get back on track

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

Thanks markevans,the way he said not to strop was exactly the way i had been doing it!.....i will try it out later.....thanks very much for that,much appreciated.

The only thing I can add is that pressure applied when stropping, to obtain the most optimal edge, is a little bit of a variable. A really, really, sharp blade is stropped with no pressure at all. You can get a great edge this way. Since the edge is at it's most delicate the edge will also not be ruined by stropping. An edge just off the hone is quite fragile.

Later, as the edge starts to dull, more pressure can be applied. Actually, I might argue that more pressure needs to be applied to keep the razor shaving longer. That is, assuming you don't want to hone it.

This explains an odd fact that you'll see popping up on this site. People either professing great success using absolutely no pressure stropping, and those that profess pressure is essential. What you'll start to see is another coincident fact. The guys who are experts at honing always push the no pressure agenda.

So, you may want to try and "follow the curve", so to speak. Always start with very light stropping. Perhaps you read the barbers manual (which I recommend if you haven't) which says "only apply enough pressure to feel a draw". Then if light pressure doesn't seem to be getting the job done, add a little more. Once you start feeling a draw sensation, then your stropping. If your strop doesn't produce any drawing sensation then simply test shave more often.

It's important not to use too much pressure though. Make sure you start out light and add pressure only when you know the light pressure is no longer doing the job. If you do use too much pressure you can dull the edge. You need quite a bit of pressure to do this. Good news, for most people, is that all you need is a touch up honing to fix the problem. For those that don't hone, that might be an issue.

Keep the strop firm/taut and be deliberate in your stropping too.

On the subject of speed, yes, speed makes a difference, but, being deliberate and accurate is far, far, far, more important. Speed only accounts for about 10 percent of the stropping effect. You want to establish a smooth, pendulum like effect, while stropping. If you strop smoothly and deliberately, you'll be stropping well. A rate that would be similiar to "one and, two and, three and, four and" (saying each quote with each swing, from one end of the strop to the other, not back and forth) would be excellent speed. Don't try to artificially build up speed. You'll screw it up. Also, remember that speed on a strop is just like speed in a car. YOU"VE GOT TO SLOW DOWN WHEN YOU GET TO THE CURVES. So, don't send the blade flying down the strop and then, stop, and try and turn the blade. You've got to slow down and turn the blade at the end correctly. In a car driving down the road you can go into a turn too fast and say "gee, I didn't know there was a turn here". On a strop, flying a razor down the strop and then trying to flip the razor like you didn't expect the turn makes you like like a complete dumb*ss. More, importantly, though, is you'll screw up the strop and the razors edge. It'll dig into the strop or you'll flip the edge too hard into the strop.

On hand position, I agree with Bud, and would add, that you want the razor shank to roll "like a pencil". I try to hold the razor from the sides, but I think you'll find that some point of your thumb and the side of your index finger will touch the corner of the shank. When I flip the razor I am catching the corner of the shank with both my thumb and index finger when stropping. It's the corner edge, and your finger/thumb relation to it, that is critical when turning.

Finally, the off hand. You want the pressure in tautness, to relate to the pressure applied when stropping with the hand that holds the razor. So if you add pressure when stropping you have to add tautness with your off hand equally. The off hand must always have enough tension applied that the strop won't deflect too much when stropping. If you add more pressure when stropping you have to add more tautness. If you only use the weight of the blade stropping you need very little tension holding the strop. If you use some pressure stropping, you need to use tension in the off-hand to prevent the strop from deflecting too much. This is why you can see some guys slapping the strop and using loads and loads of pressure when stropping. Several pounds of pressure most likely. It works fine on a dulling razor, but, they are controlling the deflection and tension of the strop effectively with their off hand.

Originally Posted by markevens

I'd recommend not using pressure at all and just adding extra strokes. The reason being is that a little pressure for a first timer is often too much pressure. Just enough to keep the razor on the strop is really all you need.

Understanding why we strop and the dangers of stropping too hard is important. When we shave, the delicate edge of the razor blunts and gets bent. Stropping straightens out the slight bend on the edge. Now, if you strop with too much pressure (and I think there are nice pics of this in the wiki) you can bend the edge before it ever touches a hair.

You want your strop strokes to be quick to realign the edge better. Slow strokes will do very little. You dont' want to damage your razor on the flip though, so do that part slow in the beginning. Keep the pressure light so you don't damage the edge.

I found the following video to help my stropping a lot
YouTube - straight razor stropping