Thread: stropping?

Originally Posted by Theseus

A technique that I shown by my old barber was, before each shave, make 3 passes on a barbers hone. Then gently make a few stropping passes on the palm of your hand to smooth it out.

You know, I tried that for about 1 year. On each razor I used, I gave it 3 swipes on a Swaty, then I did my normal stropping technique which, at the time was 25 linen, and 50 leather....

3 little passes on that Swaty kept me from having to do a full blown honing....The only reason i stopped doing it was, I missed my other hones.....

Originally Posted by zib

No offense to the OP, but no one thought it was wierd that he perfected the honing technique, but not stropping.....? or did I miss something...Usually it's the other way around....How do you learn how to hone a razor, moreover, perfect it, but not know how to strop....?

+1 to Ryan82, I too keep a bit of slack when I strop. I don't pull mine taught, I find I get better contact leather to steel, and a better final result....

Years of experience sharpening things made learning to sharpen razors easy. And I didn't say I perfected it, I said I was close to. I've never perfected anything. Lets be honest, honing is just laying a razor on a stone and moving it around until it's really sharp. If 1 technique isn't producing that edge, you try another until you find one that works. Is it that strange that I bought a few razors and didn't buy a leather strop?

Originally Posted by infamous

Lets be honest, honing is just laying a razor on a stone and moving it around until it's really sharp.

You are grossly oversimplifying honing. If it was that simple, there would never be questions about it posted here.

Originally Posted by infamous

If 1 technique isn't producing that edge, you try another until you find one that works. Is it that strange that I bought a few razors and didn't buy a leather strop?

If you want your razors to work as well as they should, then you need a strop. I appreciate that you've sharpened lots of metal objects; please understand that razors are different... Your kitchen knives need to be sharp enough to cut whatever you want them to cut. Razors need to be sharp enough to pop hairs effortlessly, while gliding over the skin. A strop makes a big difference in that regard.

The OP has decided that he no longer wants to post on SRP so I am locking these threads for lack of participation on his part...