Originally Posted by
Annixter
Thanks for the thoughtful elaboration on angles and the importance of a semi-scientific method to starting out. As a beginner--well, a couple months in but still learning--I find it sometimes tempting to start throwing in new variables but have to take some wind out of the sails and remember that controlling variables to the point of being able to understand them is key before moving to the next variable.
For me, I've been focusing on stropping which ultimately shortens my work on my face in that I don't have time to make more than two WTG passes. I would like to start practicing more XTG and dabble with ATG, but I'm not comfortable saying, "Yes I know what a well-stropped blade and a poorly stropped blade feels like." Because I don't have a stable understanding of the difference yet, I find adding new variables like ATG techniques will only muddle things and set me back, so I spend more time experimenting with stropping technique right now.
Speaking of stropping for fellow beginners, and off topic a bit and already a known opinion but worthwhile I think, find yourselves a cheap strop when first starting--Whipped Dog sells one for $14. I never understood how a person could nick the leather if the blade trails the spine, but I have since nicked the end of the strop a hand full of times at the end where my hand holds it. It occurs when flopping over the blade too early before stopping the toward-me motion, and all it takes is the slightest movement of the blade in the wrong direction during this transition to dig in. I've since put much work into making sure the spine is leading before settling the edge. Because it's a cheap strop, I shrug it off as a learning process, but I'd feel much different if it were a $80 strop. Like this latest tips thread argues well, promoting slow, controlled experimenting with variables pays off, so thanks for the reinforcement.