Thread: Rolling Hone/Rolling Strop?

Yeah, that looks right to me. I've never tried with the point leading. I have tried with the heel leading (which on my 3" strop keeps the whole blade on the strop for the entire stroke). I've gone to more of a honing stroke now meaning that I lay the razor flat across the strop without either the point or heel leading and do a straight diagonal stroke to make the X pattern (I call it a slight X because I keep approximately half the blade on the strop by the end of the stroke)

I'll be interested to see how comfortable the stroke you drew in your diagram will be. I'll try it tomorrow morning.

With practice I can see myself getting the hang of toe forward at speed. I use toe forward for my pasted strops but I always do it slower than on the leather/linen. This is mainy due to the slight tack you get on a pasted strop that can make the razor pause enough to cause damage.
Toe forward on the linen is quite easy I found and this I put down to the slippery nature of the linen strop I tried it on. I will work on it.
On Tonys 3" strops I dont do Xpattern in the strict sense but sort of just go up/down heal leading. On a 2" strop I do X pattern but on the odd day I have been known to go up/down V style.

PuFF

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Thanks guys - this is a very informative discussion for me.

I think I do a similar stroke to the one Scott posted. But, I start with the heel leadiing and end with the toe leading, so I guess the toe of the razor moves faster than the heel. Is this bad? Is it better to keep the angle of the razor consistent within a stropping stroke (like when honing?)

James.

Yes, when I strop, the heel starts, slightly, in the leading position. But the point soon takes the lead as the razor arcs across the strop following the path indicated by the red lines in my second drawing. During the turn, the razor is re-positioned and arced in the opposite direction, completing the "X."


Scott

I get you now Scott
You are doing heal leading but gradually it goes to toe leading and in doing so it sets the heal leading angle to the strop for the start of the next stroke. Simple, I can see it now. Could be turmed a complete rolling action.

PuFF

Originally Posted by honedright

Yes, when I strop, the heel starts, slightly, in the leading position. But the point soon takes the lead as the razor arcs across the strop following the path indicated by the red lines in my second drawing. During the turn, the razor is re-positioned and arced in the opposite direction, completing the "X."

Scott

Originally Posted by PuFFaH

I get you now Scott
You are doing heal leading but gradually it goes to toe leading and in doing so it sets the heal leading angle to the strop for the start of the next stroke. Simple, I can see it now. Could be turmed a complete rolling action.

PuFF

Yes, that's why I started doing it in the first place. Seemed easier, but I never really gave much thought to what was actually happening to the edge before this and got a bit worried. But it sounds like it's all OK.

James.

Scott, James, Puffah, friends, Romans, Countrymen:

Lend me your strops...

OK, ok.. I'm shaving on Saturday but couldn't help myself and studied Scott's diagram and stropping demo video. I went and stropped approximately 20 strokes on both linen and leather.

I tested the edge with the thumb pad test and what I felt was so different from anything I've felt before. The blade felt very smooth and instantly stuck on my thumb pad. I had recently refreshed my razor a few shaves ago and using my traditional X pattern of stropping hasn't produced this kind of smooth sticky edge.

Also, from a comfort perspective, this "curving X pattern" is, too me, much more comfortable than the traditional X I've been using.

Of course, the edge isn't completely tested until the morning when I shave with it, but if the preliminary test is anything to go off of, I expect a nice shave.

Does this stroke really make a real difference in the edge? Unfortunately, I'm not an expert and still trying to improve my technique so I don't think I'm qualified to say. At least, this one time, it made a very noticeable difference in the edge of my blade as indicated by the thumbpad test. I'll post how the edge felt after I shave in the morning.

OK, just shaved this morning and the shave was very nice. I did only 2 passes, WTG and ATG with just some small patch touch ups afterward and it was quite enjoyable. Very close and BBS execpt for the areas I typically have trouble with. This is a change since it usually takes me 3 passes and touch ups to get this close. I have no razor burn, which is something I have had for the last several shaves.

I'm looking forward to trying several more shaves with this curving X pattern to see if I get consistent results. I'll post results again in about a week, if anyone is interested.

I don't think this pattern should make a difference except to say that because it's more comfortable and more natural for me, it might give me more control over the blade which would produce better quality in the edge dressing.

Steve,

That's great to hear. There's probably so many variables that it's hard to pin it down to one or two, but for what it's worth I think you might be right with the more comfortable, more control idea. But I could be wrong.

Can I just ask - when you did the curved X did the heel lead initially and then the toe was leading from about 1/4 of the way through the stroke until the end?

James.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

Steve,

That's great to hear. There's probably so many variables that it's hard to pin it down to one or two, but for what it's worth I think you might be right with the more comfortable, more control idea. But I could be wrong.

Can I just ask - when you did the curved X did the heel lead initially and then the toe was leading from about 1/4 of the way through the stroke until the end?

James.

James,

that's about right. I started with the heel leading and then about midway, the blade evened out so the heel and point were level then the heel took over the lead for a short time (just between 1/2 and 1/4 of the way up the strop). Now, on the way down (toward the handle), the point only led the way slightly. It seems that the point leads more on the upward (toward the swivel) stroke than on the downward stroke.

Steve, being comfortable with the stropping action is a good part of the problem solved. Toe leading or heal leading I think makes no diff when the action in both directions is uniform and consistant. Finding the stropping action that feels right for you is a good way up the ladder of success.

PuFF