Thread: Under Stropping

Gentlemen,

My routine comprises of 50 strokes on linen/canvas/felt and 150 on leather. On the Kanayama/Kanoyama strops, I do 25 strokes on linen, 25 on felt and 150 on the smooth leather.

One reason for the relatively big numbers is limiting my strokes to only about 7 inches on the strop rather than most of the length — one reason I dislike long strops. This also helps smoother manipulation of the thumb and index finger while the wrist remains almost immobile.

So that the almost entire length of the strop is used — I don't want to wear out just one part of it — in the course of the week, I strop in different parts of the strop.

To compensate for the short stropping length, I add more strokes to my routine, as I noted. Which is an excuse, really, to do more strokes, because I love stropping — it puts me in a sweet state of zen. If I had the time, I would probably strop an hour before shaving. I figure, as long as I strop correctly, I'm okay. Also, proper stropping reduces the frequency of honing.