Thread: Learning to strop

New to the whole straight razor experience. I've got a new razor and strop, but before I start using them I wanted to get decent at stropping using a dull edge straight razor and a cheap leather strop - figured it would help me with the motion / technique before I started to shave. Sometimes I think I'm doing ok, but I notice that my thumb and forefinger start creeping up the shank towards the blade as I do multiple passes on the strop. I'm thinking maybe it's the way I'm holding / flipping the razor. Any tips or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

Welcome to SRP!

What I usually suggest new guys do is practice stropping with a butter knife, it helps develope muscle memory and saves the strop. In the mean time when you do strop with the razor before shaving lay your strop on a flat surface, counter/table top until you establish proper stropping technique.....worked for me.

Also, there are many excellent stropping videos available to watch here on SRP.

I assume you have watched the videos until your eyes bled . It's all practice practice practice. Are you holding too loose to help keep little pressure? Are you pushing the blade toe first? Without watching, it may be hard for someone to say. You will get it you just have to figure out the best way for you. I been doing it for 5 months and I am just getting to were I can strop and count at the same time.

This may sound wrong to you, but a rather light grip may help you. If you are holding the razor too tightly, afraid you might drop it, you'll actually have less control that you'd think. When I strop, my grip is light enough that the razor seems to almost flip itself. There's a bit more to it than that, but it's something to think about, and try.

Also, about the only time I push into the shank is during the, I don't know what to call it, let's say the "drag" phase of stropping when the entire blade is being dragged along the strop between flips, I bear down onto the shank with my thumb to keep the razor in contact with the strop. Small variations in pressure with the thumb can direct more pressure towards the edge, or the back of the razor while stropping, as you feel is needed.

All comes with lots of practice.

I am still very new at it, but what I have found my best stropping happens when I concentrate on counting and not stropping if that makes sense.

When I do it that way the rhythm, motion, pressure all just happens naturally.

I do tilt my strop in a way that matches the natural holding angle of the razor.

Weather stropping or honing I try to follow what feels right and not force it.

Granted this is just my two pence.

Thanks everyone for all your tips.

I've been watching a lot of the videos more closely, looks like everyone has a little different technique for holding and flipping the razor as well as how they hold the strop (flat, pulling down, pulling up) and where they stand (behind the strop or along side it).

I'm assuming what's important is to keep the spine on the strop at all times and then find a grip and techinique that I'm comfortable with. I'm finding it seems a little easier for me if I pull up slightly on the strop (hook at waist level and pull to chest level) and stand along side the strop. Am I starting out with any bad technique habits or is that ok as long as I get good strokes.

Thanks again

Originally Posted by irishdetroit

Thanks everyone for all your tips.

I've been watching a lot of the videos more closely, looks like everyone has a little different technique for holding and flipping the razor as well as how they hold the strop (flat, pulling down, pulling up) and where they stand (behind the strop or along side it).

I'm assuming what's important is to keep the spine on the strop at all times and then find a grip and techinique that I'm comfortable with. I'm finding it seems a little easier for me if I pull up slightly on the strop (hook at waist level and pull to chest level) and stand along side the strop. Am I starting out with any bad technique habits or is that ok as long as I get good strokes.

Thanks again

If you watch Lynn’s vids he also holds at an angle both upward as you describe and tilted to suit how his arm/wrist moves.

Even contact and pressure appropriate for stropping throughout the stroke is what counts,

if that means standing on your head singing Mary had a little lamb while blowing milk bubbles out your nose so be it.

I promise I won't laugh .

J/K about the last part...

Originally Posted by pfries

if that means standing on your head singing Mary had a little lamb while blowing milk bubbles out your nose so be it.

I so need to try this, see if it'll stop me nicking my strop - there's only so much sandpapering it'll take before I'm through to the backing.

Also, which version of Mary had a little Lamb, the clean version, or one of the many "other" versions?

Here is a thread with just a few hints and tricks about stropping

http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...st-2012-a.html



OK I lied there are more then a few

Originally Posted by Kaden101

which version of Mary had a little Lamb, the clean version, or one of the many "other" versions?

Depends on the day