Thread: Strop Seems to Dull

When I hone my razor it feels quite sharp. After I strop, it seems to be duller. Maybe someone can tell me what I'm doing wrong.

I've read and watched videos on stropping... Tight pressure to hold the strop level, with no sag in the middle. Light pressure, leading with the spine. Etc. I think I'm doing things correctly. But, obviously not!

Possibly related, from another post...

we here tend to be a Hone/Stone oriented bunch... There are many people that hardly ever touch a stone and maintain their razor almost exclusively on pasted strops...

Does this mean that some depend on a hone primarily to keep a razor sharp, and don't use a strop or use a strop very sparingly?

Thanks!

The first thing that comes to mind is your transition between strokes. Are you rolling the razor over the spine? If not you may be rolling the edge.

Originally Posted by LarryAndro

I've read and watched videos on stropping... Tight pressure to hold the strop level, with no sag in the middle. Light pressure, leading with the spine. Etc. I think I'm doing things correctly. But, obviously not!

I think Razor stropping - Straight Razor Place Wiki is the most complete description of stropping. You may want to listen to the mp3s in there. If the razor doesn't touch the strop with spine and edge at the same time, all the time, you will dull your edge. Likewise, slow stropping has proven ineffective. Or maybe you're not stropping enough.

Originally Posted by LarryAndro

Possibly related, from another post...

we here tend to be a Hone/Stone oriented bunch... There are many people that hardly ever touch a stone and maintain their razor almost exclusively on pasted strops...

Does this mean that some depend on a hone primarily to keep a razor sharp, and don't use a strop or use a strop very sparingly?

No, quite the contrary. Stropping will not sharpen your edge, just re-align it. The "hone/stone" remark is aimed at sharpening, which you can also do with pastes.

Good luck, and do keep us updated on your progress.

Regards,
Robin

I don't know that anyone uses a hone exclusively to maintain a razor without also using a strop. The consensus is that stropping before shaving is mandatory for best results. Perhaps you may have a forum member in your area with some experience who could give you some pointers and assess you stropping technique ? Another option would be bringing your razor and strop to an old barber who might do the same.

Thanks for the tips, guys!

I found one of my problems in the wiki mentioned above immediately! I strop slowly. The wiki article said that slow stropping might be worse than no stropping.

Up to a certain point, slow is good. It keeps you from getting ahead of yourself and doing something stupid like cutting your strop in half and ruining you edge with a flick of the wrist. But, too slow is not good.

LarryAndro,

I know the feeling; now and again my stropping goes to Hell, particularly on the return stoke - I don't know why !!
After a couple of days things are right as rain again !

Best regards

Russ

I find the same issue. I think I can point out one secret we rarely discuss. Just off the hone, particularly with the wicked sharp blades we can use today, it is really easy to blow an edge.

If we used less high grits we'd be better off perhaps, but who would follow that routine?

So, I often don't strop at all just off the hone.

If you want to strop just off the hone then you should do so with a feather light touch, just a few strokes. And I would argue also, that you're not re-aligning anything. Its an almost "why bother" proposition.

After a few shaves though I think its probably essential. I certain strop after the first shave.

I find that any pressure applied incorrectly will smooth (and dull) a razor.

On the other hand . . . if your honing is just so-so. Then I find that using a strop with a light touch and just a tad of deflection can actually sharpen the edge a little. It shapes the edge a touch.

After this process occurs then I use a touch of pressure, build up a draw on the strop, then strop with a feather light touch for a few strokes.

I follow this pattern. Apply pressure to get draw (just enough to get draw) then build up the draw, then polish the drawn edge (perhaps with a touch of deflection).

So, what it feels like is I'm extending the edge outward and then polishing the extended edge.

It produces a really smooth edge, sharp enough to shave with, but more like a DE blade feels.

That is what I do anyway.

It does remain a little bit of a mystery to me as well.

Good news is I can go a long time between honings with this game plan.

I had much the same problem when I started to get very light on the strop. I think I got so light that I didn't have enough feedback to keep the blade flat on the strop and was wobbling just a little. Thinking I was using too much pressure, I went even lighter and it got worse. Finally, I just increased pressure to where I felt "comfortable" and the problem vanished.

Thanks for this post. What do you mean by "deflection?" Are you raising the spine slightly? Is that what you mean?
Kent

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

I find the same issue. I think I can point out one secret we rarely discuss. Just off the hone, particularly with the wicked sharp blades we can use today, it is really easy to blow an edge.

If we used less high grits we'd be better off perhaps, but who would follow that routine?

So, I often don't strop at all just off the hone.

If you want to strop just off the hone then you should do so with a feather light touch, just a few strokes. And I would argue also, that you're not re-aligning anything. Its an almost "why bother" proposition.

After a few shaves though I think its probably essential. I certain strop after the first shave.

I find that any pressure applied incorrectly will smooth (and dull) a razor.

On the other hand . . . if your honing is just so-so. Then I find that using a strop with a light touch and just a tad of deflection can actually sharpen the edge a little. It shapes the edge a touch.

After this process occurs then I use a touch of pressure, build up a draw on the strop, then strop with a feather light touch for a few strokes.

I follow this pattern. Apply pressure to get draw (just enough to get draw) then build up the draw, then polish the drawn edge (perhaps with a touch of deflection).

So, what it feels like is I'm extending the edge outward and then polishing the extended edge.

It produces a really smooth edge, sharp enough to shave with, but more like a DE blade feels.

That is what I do anyway.

It does remain a little bit of a mystery to me as well.

Good news is I can go a long time between honings with this game plan.