Thread: stropping for idiots

now my razor wont cut properly i have asked santa for some hones.
but i have a feeling i may have dulled it with the strop so i would like some tips,basicly start again so i dont mess it up again,i have done various searches but cant find any definate answers

first off,i have a sprung 3" paddle strop with leather on each side black one side and tan on the other,the tan side seems courser,i take it this side is for paste Strops, brushes & soaps

i have Green Chromium Oxide and blue 1 micron diamond paste,but not sure how much of the diamond paste to use and how often to apply,and do i use one on each side of the strop or am i better of just using one of them,and bare leather.

on the above strop how many laps would you normally do after each shave,my beard is quite thin.
and roughly how much preasure,i think i may have been pushing to hard.i take my time with the strop to make sure my technique is right and have no nicks on the strop,or rolled edge on the razor its just really dull
thanks for any help
dave

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.

Probably the biggest error for stropping is putting pressure on the blade. Only use the weight of the razor on the strop and go slow across the leather until you learn it. Concentrate... you are not sharpening the edge, you are only polishing it.

Reading is fine.... But nothing is better than visual.

STRAIGHT RAZOR STROPPING: HOW TO PREPARE BLADE FOR a SHAVE: STROP BEFORE SHAVING & RAZOR CARE - YouTube