Thread: Beginners Tips: March 2011

Strops / Stropping

I did a little thinking about this months Beginner Tips, and decided that this needed to be written...

First thing to address is this question from almost every beginner

What Strop should I buy???

This is normally answered by 10 different recommendations mostly for a piece of leather that is in the shape of a strop and that is Cheap, with the following reason.. "Your going to nick you first strop so buy a cheap one"

Although I can't really argue that logic (because it is true) it also is misleading.. I had to think back nearly 30 years to my first strop, and yes I nicked it up.. Then I stopped, and learned how to strop correctly and slowly... I also didn't have a resource quite like SRP to help me out...

OK you say but you nick the strop

Yep, and here it is after 30 years of service, (only strop for 26 years) still usable BTW I just cleaned the linen up... This is my first strop an Illinois #835







Now many of the more senior members will explain that you can do quite a bit of edge work if you have a dual component strop... In fact they say "Stropping is King"
Over the past few months I have been doing some honing checks from some of the guys out there that have learned to hone, and want to see what their edges feel like to a more experienced member... So I test shave their edges, and see what is what.. One thing we have all learned, is Stropping is way more important to a smooth shave then many think..
And a quality dual component strop used correctly can be a huge equalizer to how smooth a shave feels...

One statement we have all decided on is that the proper term for holding a hanging strop should be "Taut" not tight It really does make a difference


Now I am not suggesting you spend a fortune here either but there are plenty of good quality dual component strops in the $30-$60 range...
Remember this will improve every single shave

Beginning stropping...

First off you have to learn "the Flip", stropping is easy, the flip is not...
When you start lay your strop on the edge of a table or counter that eliminates the sagging problem... Watch these Vids of Alan/afdavis stropping and watch his flip he is soooooo smooth...
START SLOW, really slow, and practice slowly to learn the flip.. Watch your Forefinger top knuckle, and try and move it the least amount possible as you flip... That keeps your wrist from doing the work... You shouldn't even hang the strop for at least 2 weeks worth of shaves...
There is only one trick to stropping, use just enough pressure to keep the spine moving evenly across the strop... Don't worry about the edge it will follow along behind, pay attention to the spine...
About 1 full second for each direction is a good starting pace maybe a touch slower..

Honestly I don't own a strop that I use regularly that doesn't have a nick in it... I have showoff strops that I use occasionally that are about perfect
Worry about learning to strop correctly, not nicking the strop because you are going to nick one.. A pumice stone or some sandpaper fixes it pretty good...

Strop On !!!!

Here are some different strops that hang around my shave den...

SRD Premium #1 my personal everyday strop





Craftsman Timber tanned a showoff strop





Nichiri Pelican a showoff strop





Illinois #827 My after honing strop

Latest switch out of Linen from a Illinois #827 see all the crap it catches



24 inch bench strops I made for CrOx and CeOx these are my goto pastes




TI Paddle Strop my very first pasted strop w/ Dovo Red and Black





Hanging pasted strops all are two equal components...

left to right

#827 Dovo Black / Dovo Red - #827 CeOx / CrOx - TM Dual Leather .50 / .25 Diamond paste - SRD Hard Felt .50 / .25 Diamond Spray




Keep in mind you DO NOT need all this but it gives you an idea of what is available...

Thanks for the great post. I have just entered the world of straight razor shaving after years of DE shaving and I have been absorbing as much information as I can. I appreciate all the help posted. I only have one question - in the video link posted above, it appeared Alan/afdavis was lifting the spine when flipping over the razor quickly. I paused the video and confirmed this was happening (screenshot below). He is keeping part of the spine on the strop, but the point is being lifted off the strop. Is this correct or should the entire back stay on the strop?

Thanks Glen, I love the tips and the help you gave me with my honing and stroping. 30 years ago must have been quite a learning curve with no help like we new guys have here thanks to the vets.

Glenn C.

Gssixgun,

Thank you for this very informative (and interesting) post!

Jeff

Can I suggest putting all of Glen's beginners tips in its own section of the forum? These things are awesome, I look forward to them every month.

(I guess they're easily searchable but a new member often doesn't know of and/or make use of that feature)

Originally Posted by ats200

Can I suggest putting all of Glen's beginners tips in its own section of the forum? These things are awesome, I look forward to them every month.

(I guess they're easily searchable but a new member often doesn't know of and/or make use of that feature)

Thank you very much for the kudos but I think these are really only good for a month or so if you actually go back through them many of the Topics repeat...

I pick a Topic each month by the trends I see in the threads on SRP so I follow your guy's questions with my tips or at least try to...

I have Tagged all of them as "Beginners Tips" in the tag search under the "Search" function above , but you do have a point many real Newbies don't utilize that feature...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Thank you very much for the kudos but I think these are really only good for a month or so if you actually go back through them many of the Topics repeat...

I pick a Topic each month by the trends I see in the threads on SRP so I follow your guy's questions with my tips or at least try to...

I have Tagged all of them as "Beginners Tips" in the tag search under the "Search" function above , but you do have a point many real Newbies don't utilize that feature...

Thanks for the tips Glen, even though I'm a small notch up from a beginner(I keep telling myself ), it are truly enlightening tips. Maybe you should also put them in the Wiki.

Glen, you are the bomb! I really appreciate your tips and this thread is no exception. As a total NOOB, your vids and tips are lifesavers. I understand them being repetitive. I wonder if in the list of forums, or in the list of subforums for beginners, these tips and referrences to the Wiki, etc. couldn't be listed as a subform restricted to moderators so that they're the first thing newb's see? Maybe an idea for the development team.

Thanks again.

Glen,

Thank you so much for this post, it's very helpful to new guys out there. When I first started I bought a TM latigo strop, I still use it now, but it was cut to shreds. I always felt bad about having to pumice the cuts out and then sand it to usable condition. Now that I see you've done the same it changed my point of view. I feel like I can see my experiences in the strop and to me that's better than the new looking ones.

Thanks!