Thread: Shaving is the easy part - stropping on the other hand...

Two things come to mind:

-Be VERY careful when flipping the razor that the edge hits the leather while in motion; if you hesitate you tend to nick the strop.

-Elevate your wrist and/or elbow, so your wrist is level or slightly higher than the strop. We have a tendency to drop the wrist somewhat, which usually results in the heel nicking the strop. Notice how some nicks tend to be on the bottom of your strop, closest to the heel?

If you have to slow down a bit to avoid cuts by all means do it. That could be another problem, trying to go too fast before you're ready.

Originally Posted by Ryan82

-Be VERY careful when flipping the razor that the edge hits the leather while in motion; if you hesitate you tend to nick the strop.

That's what I'm doing wrong, at the bottom I tend to stop, not for long, but long enough to nick it.

My advice,,,,,SLOW DOWN I found that when I was picking up speed is when I nicked the strop....YMMV

I used to put little nicks in my strop at the hand held portion towards my body. I fasten my strop at door knob height and I'm 5'9" with a 30" inseam to give you an idea of those logistics. IOW, at my height it is about waist high. I used to hold the tang between the thumb pad and the first joint of my fore finger where the bend is. Reading threads and barber manuals I changed my hold to between the thumb pad and the tip/pad of my fore finger. Once I got that hold/flip down the little cuts/nicks in the strop went away. I also kind of cradle the scales with my middle, ring, and little finger. Almost no pressure, just barely supporting the scales while I'm doing the flip. This may help you as it did me ...... or maybe it won't but either way .....

Slow is smooth, and smooth is fast.

First learn to do it slow and smooth. One smooth motion and make sure you have reversed your direction before you are finished flipping.

Once you are smooth, practice and keep that muscle memory and you'll get faster.

I think many are also afraid to put any pressure. Yes you don't want too much, but then not too little as well.

Enjoy!

I press just hard enough so I can fell the edge drag. The pressure is applied to the spine and the edge just follows which from what I've read is how it should be. I guess I'm doing it right because the razor is as sharp as it was when I got it.

Originally Posted by thuktunflishithy

I press just hard enough so I can fell the edge drag. The pressure is applied to the spine and the edge just follows which from what I've read is how it should be. I guess I'm doing it right because the razor is as sharp as it was when I got it.

I have extensive experience cutting the living crap out of my first strop, so I feel qualified, somehow, to give advise.

To me the key to the stropping without cutting was in the flip. Once I got that to a fluid and consistent movement, the nicking stopped for good, and the most important part of that was the timing; start flipping before you fully stop and finish when you are already on the way back. It's easier to do than to explain.

While I'm no speed demon on the strop, I'm fairly competent and consistent and this is good enough for me. I've since repaired the one that I cut to shreds, and I am proud to say that my other three strops are uncut.

Good luck,


Marcos

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I used to put little nicks in my strop at the hand held portion towards my body. I fasten my strop at door knob height and I'm 5'9" with a 30" inseam to give you an idea of those logistics. IOW, at my height it is about waist high. I used to hold the tang between the thumb pad and the first joint of my fore finger where the bend is. Reading threads and barber manuals I changed my hold to between the thumb pad and the tip/pad of my fore finger. Once I got that hold/flip down the little cuts/nicks in the strop went away. I also kind of cradle the scales with my middle, ring, and little finger. Almost no pressure, just barely supporting the scales while I'm doing the flip. This may help you as it did me ...... or maybe it won't but either way .....

I can identify a lot with what you're saying. Ironically I fasten my strop at door knob height and I'm 5'9". Ironically my stropping has improved the last couple of times as a result of reading this thread. One reason why I think stropping is a pain is because it is a forgotten technique in the learning curve. For the past couple of years I've asked like crazy for help on other aspects of shaving but before this thread don't recall ever asking anyone for help with stropping.

Probably as a result of studying this thread I have held the razor more securely by the scales so that the scales are closer to the palm of my hand. That has enabled me to flip the razor with authority without fear of dropping the thing. I am still extremely slow. Another thing is that I had the notion that you had to strop fast to get the benefits of stropping and for that reason I tried to rush it. Unfortunately the only way I can rush is to bend the wrist like crazy. So I'm feeling a lot better about it, although it's hard to picture me doing it quickly. But it is probably like learning the straight shaving in that you can't do something you want to do for a long time and then all of a sudden one day you can.

I had a light bulb moment after my last post. When learning to play a difficult piece of music I break it down into sections and do them each slowly, until they become second nature and I don't have to think about them anymore. Muscle memory takes over. There are things I play that I have no idea what I'm actually doing, my brain can't keep up with the speed of my fingers, my fingers just move. I have to apply that same mindset to this. And just like music, it may take months or years to master it. It did take me years to be able to play some songs, many years lol. So slow it down, pay close attention to each step, the roll at the top, the roll at the bottom, the swipes in between, get them perfect then let 'er rip.

Yeah, I know, I was told that, but like many stubborn people I had to think of it myself to believe it.

CaliforniaCajun's post reminded me ..... many think it is better to not bend or turn your wrist to make the flip. I started out as a wrist turner but after reading it was "wrong", with great difficulty, broke the habit. Since then I use the thumb/forefinger to do the flip. I'm sure there are expert stroppers out there who turn the wrist. That is why I put quotation marks around wrong. I suppose it's only wrong if it doesn't work.