Thread: Brand new an have a strop/hone question.

So I'm brand new to the forum I figured that joining would help with some of My abilities that need honing/perfecting when it come to shaving with a straight razor an all the things that go along with it.so

That being said I have always wondered why you Strop one direction an Hone the other?
I have looked this up all over an have never found an answer so I figured what better place than a forum where people have a love for this art as much as I do!

Thanks in advance for your help!

As an analogy, think getting a haircut. The barber sweeps hair against the grain and cuts it. When finished he sweeps it with the grain, smoothing it.

Presenting the edge TO the abrasive surface produces a cutting motion and removes metal to form the desired bevel. Presenting the spine TO the leather surface produces a smoothing motion that levels the roughened edge.


Changed abrasive to leather for clarification.

Welcome to SRP. If you were to strop in the same direction, edge leading, that you hone, you would damage the strop ...... If I understand the question correctly .....

Thank you for the reply you did understand correctly. But your strop should be flat so I just never thought this would happen unless you were doing something incorrectly.

Welcome to the forum. When honing you are removing steel to reconfigure a defined sharp edge by moving the edge forward. Stropping you are removing minute debris and aligning the edge to smooth the edge. Stropping edge forward would destroy your edge not to mention slicing your strop quite badly.

Thank you for the reply you explained it a little simpler than Razorfeld.

Since you are new here, and your screen name says you love Damascus, I would suggest you check out the SRP library beginner's guide. Among many tutorials there is a razors to avoid list. The "Damascus" razor shaped objects seen on ebay, and among some vendors, are not suitable for shaving, but are razor shaped box cutters at best. Just in case you were not aware of that.
Straight Razor Place Library - Straight Razor Place Library

Brands of Straight Razors to Avoid - Straight Razor Place Library

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Welcome to SRP. If you were to strop in the same direction, edge leading, that you hone, you would damage the strop ...... If I understand the question correctly .....

now im not gonna say i did this the same day i got my new razor and strop , but i will say it only takes about 2/16" and a few words of un-encouragement to realize you gotta go the other way !! again just saying lol


least you asked and thought about it !! your a step ahead of were i was ..lol

i mean who ever it was that did that to his/her strop

Originally Posted by gooser

now im not gonna say i did this the same day i got my new razor and strop , but i will say it only takes about 2/16" and a few words of un-encouragement to realize you gotta go the other way !! again just saying lol


least you asked and thought about it !! your a step ahead of were i was ..lol

i mean who ever it was that did that to his/her strop

Nobody's perfect, we all make mistakes!
I've made my share lately!

Thank you for the reply. That helps a lot I never thought of it like that. Thanks for a better understanding.