Thread: Clarification: What is a "stroke" and what is a "lap?"

I've been learning a lot more about barber hones and pasted strops lately as I've been forced, through continual use, into the "touching up" stage. I've read that you should do 4-6 strokes on a barber hone. When people say "stroke," does that mean one single pass of the razor up the hone? Or is it one single pass up, followed by a pass down? I've understood that a lap was an "up and back" motion while a stroke is just one half of that.

I got confused because I read an article recommending 5 strokes on a barber hone and that seemed weird. If a stroke is indeed one single swipe of the razor on the hone, why would it be an uneven number? Is "5 strokes" 5 passes on the hone, or 10? Is it 5 each side of the razor, or 5 all-together?

I've always considered stroke or lap to mean round trip. IOW, doing each side of the blade is one whatever you want to call it .... stroke, lap, round trip.

My feeling is that they all mean the same thing as well...but then if that's the case why are there so many different terms that could mean seemingly different things?

It does get a bit confusing sometimes...

Stroke can mean both, a Lap is pretty self-explanatory of course as a round trip..

In General: When talking of Honing and Stropping most people mean a round trip ie: a Lap
and most will even designate a "Half Stroke" or a "Half Lap" to mean just that... Think about the fact that honing and stropping is generally used equally on both sides of the edge...

Now when talking shaving, the "Stroke" takes on the single trip connotation...

All this out-and-back roundtrip talk brings the songs "Boomerang I" and "Boomerang II” to mind. :-)

Originally Posted by diyguy

All this out-and-back roundtrip talk brings the songs "Boomerang I" and "Boomerang II” to mind. :-)

That made my day...I just hope it means what I'm assuming it means, or else I've become dangerously obsessive.

Obsessing too much over it will give you a stroke. (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Now when talking shaving, the "Stroke" takes on the single trip connotation...

oh.... now that might explain why I have so much razor burn...

Damn I thought a stroke was what you have when you get your paypal account statement at the end of the month.

Originally Posted by whavens

Damn I thought a stroke was what you have when you get your paypal account statement at the end of the month.

There is that, and it has other connotations here in Australia, however, we can't mention them here.....hehehe