I find that sometimes my razor has a different sound depending on which side of the razor I strop, is this just my ears playing tricks.on me?
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I find that sometimes my razor has a different sound depending on which side of the razor I strop, is this just my ears playing tricks.on me?
I get this also, but i think mine is just my poor stropping tech being uneven pressure or angle or something in each direction possibly??
Tis the Doppler effect :p
Ok honestly it is probably the different direction of the grain of the leather, if you get the same difference on your Linen (material) strop then perhaps you are lifting the spine :)
Maybe both?
My lazy way is to "roll" the razor in my thumb and pointer (not while the edge is on the strop mind you). I notice if I don't really concentrate on the weight distribution of the razor, I get a different sound.
However if I actually reposition the razor (flip) between my thumb and forefinger so that they stay in the same orientation each half stroke then I get a consistent sound. But even then, if you listen hard enough, your mind plays tricks. JMHO.
Does a car sound the same coming as it does going ? Listen to your breath. Is it higher pitch on the way in than the way out ? I think half of what your hearing is the affect of direction. Maybe all of it. :<0)
Thanks glen, I notice it more on fabric than leather.
10pups, I had also considered what you are saying and wondered about that too, but it is almost a different sound rather than a different note.
Does the razor shave better on one side than the other ?
Just thinking with my fingers moving :<0)
You know what I think? Scuse me for piping in as a newbie, but going away you are hearing the top of the razor and coming toward you, you are getting the sound out of like an audio reverby cavity, sort of reflected between the bottom side of the razor and the strop. If you turn the strop so it is running flat across you from right to left, centered on your centerline, and strop, (yeah I know, probably awkward) I bet you hear nearly the same sound either direction. I don't know that dopler effect really comes into the picture at stropping speed but it might.
Anyway we don't strop to make noise, right? We strop to tweak up our edges before shaving. So I for one don't care if my razor hums, whistles, or sings! And if it changes key between the away stroke and the toward me stroke, well, meh. Whatevah as they say.
Next time I notice it I will concentrate on how each side feels, I THINK that when I have noticed it more the shave hasn't been as comfy. Are you thinking that the edge of the razor could be of to one side a bit? I am planning to use the same razor that I used last night. I gave it a light refresh, and have stropped it quite a bit after, I noticed that at first the draw felt heavier at the beginning than at the end. I also noticed that the sound evened out more as I stropped.Quote:
Originally Posted by 10Pups
It was a lot more stropping than I would usually do, it went like this: 50x coarse fabric, 50x smoother fabric, 50x coarser fabric, 50x smoother fabric, 50x roo, 50x smoother fabric, 50x roo.
The coarser fabric is the outside of a piece of stretch denim,
The smoother fabric is the inside of the same piece of fabric,
The roo is a roo leather strop, not a wild kangaroo that I chase around whilst trying to strop my razor.
I will see if all my effort pays off in about 6 hours when I have a shave.
Now that sure paints a picture in my head... I bet that would be quite a challenge!Quote:
Originally Posted by edhewitt
can you not tame the roo to be less feral, put some food out to coax it then as each day goes by move the position of the bowl of food closer and closer to your bathroom
I suppose, then I could shave the roo, and have a living strop that could guard my stuff when I am out.Quote:
Originally Posted by bombay
On that note, maybe teach it's joey to hone for you?Quote:
Originally Posted by edhewitt
Have you seen an Audiologist recently?
No, I am resisting the tide of age, and I will also be having a night off shaving due to beer, so will have to post an update tomorrow. And I still haven't broken the 30 min barrier with my shaves you 3 minute show off :) I can get under 20 go to woah with a one pass but my OCD stops me from leaving it there. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by ace
Just a thought could it be speed. Sometimes if not fully concentrating I find that I strop faster in 1 direction than the other causing a different sound.
Well, Ed the fact that you are getting a different sound on the Cloth to is something to look into a bit more then, Listening while stropping can actually tell you quite a bit, so just the fact that you are paying attention now in and of itself will probably help the edge :)
You might try putting the strop along the edge of a counter or table and strop very carefully and see if you can detect any difference,, that will eliminate many variables in your technique...
I can tell you that for me, I do hear a difference on leather, but I don't on Linen, the smoother the leather the less difference I hear :)
For fear of this becoming a bun fight I am tempted to PM you, but the sound was slightly abrasivey (a new word I just made up) in one direction, so maybe 10pups was on to something, and as I think I said it wasn't by the end. Any ideas? And I think I may have also mentioned the draw seemed.to get lighter.Quote:
Originally Posted by gssixgun
:thinking:
I have a Roo strop tooooo hehehe that rhymes
I will do some stropping later and see if anything pops into my brain other then just the grain difference, the thing that leans me toward a technique difference is you notice it on the cloth..
Hey "Abrasivey" sounds just fine to a guy that used "Spikier" earlier this morning :p
I am leaning towards either different torque on the razor, and/or I had some sort of burr left on the blade, though as I have noticed it even when I haven't used a hone previously it is either torque, acoustics or the weave if the fabric, though after honing it seems.more pronounced.
Thanks for your time thus far.
make a video of yourself stropping from a fixed camera and add it to the stoptober thread. october is only 4 days away plus it will really benefit you to let us professionals see what you are doing.
i hope you werent suggesting i was a bun fighter, i could beat you in a bun fight any day.
Though that would.most likely be sensible, it would.require a fixed camera, I have el telephoneo, and that's it, I could do a vid I suppose but I think it would not.really come out well. Besides I am saving myself for November, I am not sure wgether I could get anyone to sponsor me mind you.Quote:
Originally Posted by bombay
You may well be bun victorious, but when it comes to Barm cakes you had better watch your peteish back sunshine :)
First an apology, sorry for the "bun fight" comment, I was and still am somewhat tired, not that that is really an excuse.
Second the razor was really tuggy so I may well have de-honed it in either my honing attempt or in all the stropping, I have successfully touched up this razor before so I will give it another go tonight.
The noise seems to have evened out as well so maybe it was a technique thing.
Thanks to all for your input and I will let you know if I notice it again.
Humbly Ed.
You have been given some good theories here. However, perhaps it is time to experiment. My hypothesis is that the sound of both strokes should be very similar if arriving at the listener at the same distance and angle. This test cannot be made by the stropper, for good reasons already mentioned.
Have someone stand a few feet away, perpendicular to the strop. If your technique is good, then the sound difference should be very slight regardless of the grain of the leather. Better yet, have them close their eyes. It is my belief that "ceteris paribus" the sound should have very little difference. If the difference is significant, then I would no rule out modifying your touch and technique to achieve greater uniformity.
Assuming their hearing is the same in both ears.Quote:
Originally Posted by Gammaray
They could stand side on, thus using one ear, roughly centred on the working length rather than the full length of the strop. The spare ear would need to be blocked. But it's all getting a bit technical, and besides why wouldn't I use the record function on my phone. Just thought of that. Thanks again for all the input.Quote:
Originally Posted by WW243
Quote:
Originally Posted by edhewitt
Using a recording device is even better.
Agreed gamaray, glad you didn't take it the wrong way :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Gammaray
Ed, I specifically used my Roo on Sunday just for this thread :)
There is a very slight difference in the sound and I mean very slight, the grain on mine is pretty darn smooth.. Compared to my Illinois #827 that has a distinct grain direction it is night and day.
That could be something to do with it glen, not on the leather necessarily, but with the fabric, the weave could be not parallel this along with the razors relative angle to the strop, could have something to do with it.Quote:
Originally Posted by gssixgun
By relative angle I don't mean that the spine or edge is lifted, but that the stroke tends to be slightly windscreen wiperish (al la jimbos extreme stropping vid).
Also if one side of the blade had been bent over slightly by my beginner honing that would do it too. Though I seem to remember the phenomenon before I self honed.
Anyway, stropped the same razor again tonight and it seems to be pretty much better now.
Thanks again ed.
One time my razor moaned, wait, that was me.....it was going the wrong way on my skin. Ed, I hate to see this thread closed out, just a desperate lifeline to keep it going.
Thanks WW, though sometimes we need to accept that something has come to it's natural conclusion, and if it carries on it will become a parody of it's former glorious self.
I get the same thing... especially on the web. I've deduced that on the webbing, it is due to the angle of my stoke. If the spine is laid diagonal across the webbing brain versus straight with or against the grain the grain it sounds different. I can't explain the leather..
It's Alive!Quote:
Originally Posted by MikekiM
Yup, someone put the kite out in the lightning storm....Quote:
Originally Posted by WW243
Here is the genesis of the problem here: in the title of your question...the sond!
That which is sent; a message or messenger; hence, also, a visitation of providence; an affliction or trial.
Ye have enough, parde, of Goddes sond.
- Chaucer.
You did indeed use your mind and .....well, throwing in the towel Ed Hewitt, no mas.
Throughly befuddled! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by WW243
On the canvas side there is a big difference depending on theQuote:
Originally Posted by edhewitt
angle that the fabric and razor interact.
Strop with a little angle and the 'buzz' minimizes. Strop so the spine
and edge are on the exact line that the fabric ridges have
and you maximize the buzz.
Lighten your touch. (it is always safe to recommend a lighter touch).
Oh boy did I butcher that ...Quote:
Originally Posted by MikekiM