Thread: Hello to all

Hello, Hickey21:

As a rule, stropping before each shave is advisable. If stropping properly, there should be no worries about ruining the blade.

For me, I strop 25 strokes on canvas and 75 on leather. Sometimes I do a 50 to 100 ratio, depending how hard the steel on my razors.

Please view as many stropping videos as you can find. Several SRP experts have made topnotch videos.

Regards,
Obie

I have a travel strop that came with the strop it has a suede side and a smooth side i have run the stropping paste very lightly over the suede side only. I do about 50 on the suede side and 25 on the smooth side. Is that ratio about right? Also i have watched a couple of stropping videos they seem to move the blade alot faster than me. Should i move it fast orcontrolled? Do you think i need a longer strop? Sorry for all the questions but on the plus side i completed a full straight razor shave today and it feels great.

Originally Posted by hicky21

I have a travel strop that came with the strop it has a suede side and a smooth side i have run the stropping paste very lightly over the suede side only. I do about 50 on the suede side and 25 on the smooth side. Is that ratio about right? Also i have watched a couple of stropping videos they seem to move the blade alot faster than me. Should i move it fast orcontrolled? Do you think i need a longer strop? Sorry for all the questions but on the plus side i completed a full straight razor shave today and it feels great.

Hello hicky21:

If I were stropping here, I would reverse the ratio to 25/50.

Yes, the pros can strop fast. Some too fast, I think. When starting out, strop at a pace comfortable for you so that you don't cause accidents: that is, cut the strop or injure yourself. Be mindful of how you strop, because this is one of the most important elements of shaving with the straight razor.

Speed comes with practice. Eventually you don't want to be too slow or too fast. A medium speed would be fine. What exactly is medium speed? Well, it is not to slow and not too fast — you'll know what the right speed is.

My travel strop is a Tony Miller and relatively short. I also have the SRD Bridal strop, which is quite long. I think it all depends on what you prefer. If good at stropping, long or short strops both would give you good results.

Again, it's a question of how well you strop.

Please ask as many questions as you need to. At the same time, don't forget to keep up with the reading in the Wiki as well as all the videos you can find.

Regards,
Obie

Welcome to SRP.

Originally Posted by hicky21

Any top tips that you can give me would be greatly appreciated.

For tips / advice you've certainly come to the right place ! Be'ing somewhat the novice myself, the only tip I feel I can give is : awareness. Be aware of everything that you're doing, as you're doing it.


Happy shaving

Ken

Originally Posted by Obie

Hello, Hickey21:

As a rule, stropping before each shave is advisable. If stropping properly, there should be no worries about ruining the blade.

For me, I strop 25 strokes on canvas and 75 on leather. Sometimes I do a 50 to 100 ratio, depending how hard the steel on my razors.

Please view as many stropping videos as you can find. Several SRP experts have made topnotch videos.

Regards,
Obie

Thanks for the advice I did that today and it works a treat the smoothness is coming now and ther time it takes for me to shave has come down considerably nearly a week in and I am already getting a better standard of shave than my old fusion thanks for all the advice

Hello, hicky21:

You are most welcome. Stay with your craft and you'll get there. If you have any more questions, please post them.

Regards,
Obie