Beginners Tips: December 2010

Merry Christmas to all ...and to all a good shave :)

Only one topic this month

Stropping a Straight Razor..

Correct stropping is probably the most neglected topic on our forum, Razors, Hones, even Soaps, Creams, and Brushes get more airplay here..
Now we do discuss strops and sometimes even get into that elusive thing to define, called draw...
But when it comes to stropping for effect, pretty much we leave it at, use light pressure and do it a lot :D

Since hanging strops seem to be our goto strop here on SRP lets discuss those...

Where do I hang it:

Well that is really your choice, and any height that feels comfortable works, but if you ask those of us that do a ton of stropping we usually recommend the strop be at a slight angle either down or up while you strop...

How Tight do I hold it:

The correct term is "Taut" the strop should be taut, you don't have to pull the anchor outta the wall to be safe.. You don't want any slop, or drop, but some people including myself think that allowing a tiny bit of slack can actually draw out the edge better (A TINY BIT)... Keep it taut and you'll do fine...

The mechanics of stropping:

This is the easy part to describe but the hard part to do...
The razor must move across the hone evenly and smoothly with the spine leading and the edge trailing...
Here is the best "Trick" I can give, Pay attention to the spine, watch the spine move across the strop, feel the spine dig into the strop, never let the spine leave the strop, flip the razor around the back of the spine, making sure the spine stays on the strop... If the spine moves smoothly and evenly across the strop the the Edge will do just fine...

How much pressure:

If you push the spine into the strop you will do just fine, make sure that the very light pressure that occurs is directed into the spine and all will be well... Where problems occur is when there is any pressure on the edge, pressure on the edge is bad...

How fast do I need to strop:

Believe it or not you can go too slow, there is a minimum speed limit, those tests were done back in 2007 so you will have to really look, but it is a really slow speed before it makes a difference...
You want to go as fast as you can and still do it correctly :) accuracy is way more important than speed...

Keep in mind that "Correct" stropping, is actually Corrective stropping, stropping should make the edge better than when you started... You want to actually Burnish the edge into a smooth, slick, surface...

How many laps:

I can only give you the recommended starting point, which is 25 linen (if you use it) followed by 50 on leather, you have to adjust that up or down as you learn more and more, and shave your face, with your razors...


And one last hint, if you are really just having a hard time with a hanging strop, placing it along the edge of a table or bathroom counter basically turns it into a bench strop...


As always I encourage the Senior Members to add to this, as we all see things from different perspectives, and the more views we express the more it helps the Beginners...

Hi Glen,

First, thanks for the post! This series is most informative!

Do you find the "X" pattern unnecessary on a strop? I noticed you did not make mention of it.

Thanks,
--nick

Yer right I did not mention which stroke to use, only that the razor needs to move smoothly and evenly across the strop...
With different razors and different width strops which pattern you use can vary, but yes the X pattern is the easiest to make sure you accomplish keeping it even... Be a bit more careful using the X on the 3 inch wides through...

I haven't been at it as long as most people here, but here is what I do and it works well for me.

After playing with different available anchoring points around my house, I have come to like the strop as horizontal as possible. I get a more consistant sound on the up and down stroke this way than if the strop is inclined one way or another.

I have the slightest bit of slack in the strop. To get this I pull if full taut, then come back just a hair.

I use the weight of the razor only. I'm using full hollow grinds, so I think any pressure is more likely to bend the razor slightly, which would lift the leading edge of the razor off the strop slightly as well. I think with thicker grinds the razor isn't as likely to bend and a little pressure might be okay.

I don't really count my strokes anymore, I just relax and use the stropping time to get myself in the relaxed mindstate I want to be in to shave. That said, I probably do about 50 on the linen and 50 on the leather, if not more.

I think the best advise a begginer can follow is to slow down and focus on getting the flip/turn done properly, as I think this is where most of the razor damage comes from. (Using too much pressure being the other source of damage).

Properly executed, the flip begins before the stroke is done. Nearing the end of a stroke, the edge starts to lift off. At the end of the stroke, the razor should start in the other direction before the edge is set down again. This way the razor is always moving in the direction away from the edge (spine leading) when the edge of the razor is touching the strop.

Another important part is picking the razor up when you are done. One should stop mid flip (with the edge of the razor pointing up away from the strop), and then lift the razor off the strop. If one stops with the razor flush on the strop and then lifts it allows the possibility of lifting spine first and rolling the edge.

One tip on pressure is to use no more pressure than what you could hadle if you took a pin and put it on the serfice of your skin, so verry little just let the weigh of the razor do the work and you will be fine as long as you keep the strop taunt and correctly flip over the razor at the end of each lap on the strop.