Thread: Do I angle my balde on a strop/hone

Hi,
Tomorrow I'll recieve my first ever strop, Miller's 3" Hierloom, a week or so later my new razor (pre sharpened by Lynn).
I've read much on this site and other sites about stropping and honing, yet one thing seems to be contradicted: The angle of stropping and honing.
Now I now how flat a blade needs to be on a hone and strop, but some say that to alight the microscopic teeth on the blade, it needs honing and stropping at an angel, not just up and down at a level angle but in say, a figure of eight pattern, if you know what I mean.
Can anyone please help?
Much thanks!!!
P.S. I have a 4k/8k norton hone which will cover the width of my blade.

Hi,

I guess what you are describing is a so called X-pattern. This is needed for strops and stones being narrower than the the blade length of the razor, so not needed for example on your hone and strop.

Angling the blade while honing and stropping means that while you are moving the razor straight along hone/strop you hold the razor itself at an angle of roughly 30-45 degrees.

I'm sure somewhere in the depths of this forum/site there are some graphics or even videos showing this, in ASCII art its like this (note the handle of the razor is always pointing roughly down in these pictures):

Not like this : -------|-------- (| = razor, --- = strop, hone)
<- -> (Movement)

But like this: --------\--------
----> (Movement)

---------/--------
<------ (Movement)

I hope this somewhat crude method explains what I mean

-Axel-

You will find people who use each of these.
Most people use the X pattern. Check out the help files. There is lots of stuff there.

I have a 3" strop and I lay it flat and go up, flip it and go down. (Spine leading) That is the benefit of a 3" strop you do not have to do an X pattern.