Thread: stropping for idiots

First off, there is a nice thread with some good videos in it in the stropping area called "Stroptober". Perhaps some of the videos in there, or in the stickies in the stropping area, can help with the mechanics issues if there are any.

Second, I don't use pastes on strops much but when I have I always use them sparingly - as in when I apply an abrasive paste to a strop I do not put it on too thickly. I think it is better to err on the side of "not enough" than "too much". If you have no other strop, you should keep one side paste-free for leather-only stropping.

Keep your stropping pressure light - enough pressure to ensure the spine and edge maintain contact with the leather and that is about it. Focus on the spine maintaining contact - the biggest edge killer with pasted (or non-pasted for that matter) strops is the spine lifting while the edge is still in contact with the strop. If pressure has to be anywhere, focus it on the spine, not the edge.

Somewhere between 40-60 laps on plain leather seems to be the recommended number of strokes before each shave. Pasted abrasive leather is on an "as needed" basis, and should not be used before every shave - it should simply be used to spruce up an edge as it dulls over time, and then the number of laps required will depend on how dull etc.

I'm sorry there's no simple answers, but with time and patience you will work it out.

Good luck.

James.