Thread: First cut is indeed the deepest

I really thought it would never happen, but I was stropping on the 3" TM today after my morning shave, talking to the g/f about something, can't quite recall what, when I stopped paying attention for a second and- thnick! A quick, 1/6-inch slash into the strop. I shrieked. The g/f panicked.

"What happened?" she asked.

"I just nicked my strop."

"God. I thought you'd cut yourself."

"Babe, when I cut myself I mutter 'crap.' This is serious."

Luckily it was right toward the end, where I generally don't even get up to when I'm paying better attention. Still, I can't help feeling that some innocence was lost today....

Man oh man,
You have my heartfelt condolences. I remember the first cuts in my strop...poor technique; then the last two cuts in my first strop...inattention. I was able to repair them with a bit of emery cloth followed by a good application of GOOP. However, I ended up relegating that strop to my travel bag because I got sick to my stomach every time I thought about how stupid I had been to gouge it (I also really screwed up the edge of a razor with the last cut). Anyway, I replaced it with a beautiful new Old Dog strop from Keith at Hand American (the original stop I made myself with salvaged hardware from an e-bay strop and leather purchased from Keith).
I'm probably tempting the shaving god's by saying this, but so far (3-months) no cuts in the new strop. I'm sure that over the years something will happen to it, but I'm hoping it won't be soon.

Cheers,
Ed

Yeah, I nicked mine a few times towards the bottom . It is sad and I feel somehow like I have wronged the poor thing. Yes, innocence is a good word for it. Poor stropping technique. I wasn't stopping all the way before I flipped the razor over. I feel like such an idiot because of it. If I would just taken my time with it and gone slowly, I wouldn't have scarred the beauty . Anyway, the other day I was stropping and thought I had nicked it as I had this weird cutting sensation. Luckily it was just my thumb and not the strop.

Kidding kidding.

Matt

I am still using my TM free second strop.
I want to practise a bit before starting to use my 3# honey brown heirloom.

I already nicked the second strop 2 times. I don't want to do that to such a masterpiece.

It's nice to have a perfect looking strop ---but the thing is meant to be used , so I guess consider the cuts as signs of character for your strop --no two strops are the same --cuts and all.


Justin

You guys are lucky. At least you had a chance of ruining your own strops. My strop was in pristine condition, after 6 month of use, no nick, nothing. I brought it to this old barber, to show me some tricks of the trade, and the strop got butchered. Still has some scars, and I try not to look at them...

Nenad

Tony has donated some strops for the giveaway, so maybe you'll get a chance at one.

I hate sad strop stories. I always tell the new guys to go slow and keep the razor really flat, rolling it on the spine and pay attention. Invariably, once the confidence gets high, a strop gets nicked or slashed or even cut in half. Tis really a sad thing cuz those strops become like part of the shaving family.........lol. By the way, I have done this as well and am feelin your pain.

Have fun.

Lynn

I had been stroping merrily for over six months without nicking my strop since the first few zings and was really proud of myself, sure that I was ready to progress and then it happened again. The biggest yet. It can happen to anyone.

X

Originally Posted by Sweeney Todd

"Babe, when I cut myself I mutter 'crap.' This is serious."

Originally Posted by Bruno

I am still using my TM free second strop.
I want to practise a bit before starting to use my 3# honey brown heirloom.

A wise man, indeed!...and I would recommend practising a lot!

-whatever

-Lou

Originally Posted by adjustme69

I hate sad strop stories. I always tell the new guys to go slow and keep the razor really flat, rolling it on the spine and pay attention. Invariably, once the confidence gets high, a strop gets nicked or slashed or even cut in half.

Cut in half?!