After many years of honing, stropping and shaving with straight razors, I am convinced that proper stropping is the most difficult aspect of straight razors to master. Re-stropping a pesky edge on a different strop has often proven to save a shave for me.

Whereas honing is a somewhat predictable step by step process, stropping is more of a feel game for me. Unlike a stone where the surface is always relatively flat and hard, the strop surface can be flat or not so flat, firm or soft, smooth or not so smooth and each individual strop may perform differently depending who is using it. Keeping the blade in flat contact to the surface is the main trick.


I think more discussion is needed regarding the art of stropping. Many posters have reported that they blew the edge off while stropping. Also, nobody has ever reported nicking a hone while honing but there are many reports of nicking a strop.


Looking forward to more in depth stropping discussions. JMO.