Thread: Stropping Technique

I have seached and seached and I cannot seem to get the answer I am looking for.

Here is the problem, after all of the reading that I have done I am trying to strop without pressure. I am using a TM red latigo strop and a full hollow 6/8 Dovo; I just cannot seem to get things to come together. I pull the strop very taught and let the razor lay on it naturally. Then I move it back and forth. There is no noise to be heard. I have noticed that the blade isnt really touching the strop. It is like the razor is riding on the spine alone. It is the same with the linen side as well. I can see that the blade comes off of the strop by about 1mm when I move it.

I am afraid of rolling the edge on my Lynn honed blade so I am trying to be as careful as possible.

What should I do?
What is wrong with my technique?
Should I be applying some pressure; how much?
Should there always be a scraping sound or is silent fine?
How can I keep this thing slicing hairs and not roll the edge?
If it does get rolled can it be fixed on a pasted strop or the linen side or must it be rehoned?

Thanks guys.

What are the dimensions of the razor and the strop? Look for whats called a stabilizing piece. That would be a vertical line of steel along the blade. Do you see anything on the side of the blade that would prevent it from laying flat?

Well, I'm no expert but whenever I strop a hollow there is a scraping sound as the edge moves along the strop. There is also (usually - it's razor and strop-specific) a feeling of resistance (or draw).

You need to use enough pressure to ensure the edge and the spine are in contact with the strop through the whole motion. You should listen for the scrape and feel for the draw, and use no more pressure than is required for those things to occur.

The barber's manual in the archives shows a picture or two of how to hold and flip the razor when stropping. If I remember correctly it looks like they recommend keeping your thumb on the top side of the shank. This may help you keep both the edge and spine on the strop too.

In my experience you are more likely to round the edge by incorrect flipping of the razor at the end of each stroke - make sure the razor never leaves the strop and you flip it on its spine: don't lift the razor's spine off the strop. If you keep your thumb on the top of the shank, this means rolling the razor between thumb and pointer when you flip.

Go slowly and keep the strop taut. This stuff takes time and practice, and if you develop good technique to begin with, practice is more productive. So go slow. And good luck!

James.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

What are the dimensions of the razor and the strop? Look for whats called a stabilizing piece. That would be a vertical line of steel along the blade. Do you see anything on the side of the blade that would prevent it from laying flat?

The strop is wider than the blade. I do not see anything that would prevent the blade from touching the strop. It is a Dovo Bismark if that helps. It feels like the draw on the spine is causing the blade to lift but I cannot be sure.

Thats strange. I'm not trying to insult you in any way but: the only way I can replicate what you are describing is by laying the shank of the blade on the strop at the same time as the blade. The shank is the part you hold the razor with. Is that a possibility? Move the blade over to the right some and only stroke 3/4 of the blade.

That is the only way I can get a 1mm break between the strop and the blade edge.

If that is not the case than I can only suggest using a tad bit of pressure to hold the razor down. That seems even less likely but you may be being so timid with it that it really is drawing on the spine.

Have you looked at the spine to see if it has any protrusions?

I'm off to work . . . sorry I couldn't be of more help.

To clarify, I am literally letting the weight of the blade do the work right now and I am doing the X-pattern. When I want to strop away from me I tighten the strop and angle it up and then hold onto the handle and let the weight of the blade pull it down the slop and then I angle it down and do the reverse way. Only the weight of the blade. Only holding the razor so it doesnt fall to the floor. My hold is more of a cupping action than anything. I just keep hearing weight of the blade so I took it literally and apply no pressure at any part in the whole stroping extraviganza.

Originally Posted by austinkroe

To clarify, I am literally letting the weight of the blade do the work right now and I am doing the X-pattern. When I want to strop away from me I tighten the strop and angle it up and then hold onto the handle and let the weight of the blade pull it down the slop and then I angle it down and do the reverse way. Only the weight of the blade. Only holding the razor so it doesnt fall to the floor. My hold is more of a cupping action than anything. I just keep hearing weight of the blade so I took it literally and apply no pressure at any part in the whole stroping extraviganza.

The weight of the blade is the way to go. However, if the edge isn't touching the strop, the weight of the blade won't work. Move the handle in such a way that the balance of handle versus razor allows the razor to touch the strop.

Yeah, it sounds like you're not applying enough pressure to keep the edge down on the strop along with the spine. That's all you want though -- enough pressure to hold the spine & edge down before moving the razor across the strop for the stroke.

Originally Posted by xChris

Yeah, it sounds like you're not applying enough pressure to keep the edge down on the strop along with the spine. That's all you want though -- enough pressure to hold the spine & edge down before moving the razor across the strop for the stroke.

+1.

Start by laying the razor on the taut strop so that it rests both on the spine and edge - lightly, so that you don't cut up the strop. Then start the motion and apply light pressure as necessary to continue to keep both edge and spine in contact with the leather at the same time

Hope this helps

Cheers
Ivo

EDIT: The red text - it's actually better if you lay the razor on the spine (just the spine, no edge contact), and just twist it when you start the movement on the strop so that the edge trails and comes in contact. This will be safer re cutting up your strop. Good luck

OK, I am going to hop in here - with the disclaimer that I should be considered a relative newbie myself, but I have made an extensive study of both my stropping technique and others, and here is my opinion...

First, cutting your strop sucks, and it was caused with me stopping the stroke of the blade at the end of the strop - in other words, when I would pass the razor (with edge and spine making contact) down to the almost end of the strop, I would stop, [pause], then turn the blade over on the spine, and start the other way - however, in the process of stopping and turning the razor in two steps, I found that inevitably I jerked the blade backwards (twitchy and unable to control the twitch standing up I guess) and I would slice the strop. Very very annoying. My fix was that I start to roll the blade on the spine *just before* I get to the end of the stroke, so even before I stop the blade the cutting edge is off the leather, and ready to be rolled the other way. In this way, I never cut the strop (and mess up my newly stropped edge by cutting leather). Another benefit to me is that I do not do a bad habit that I had unknowingly developed, that is, at the end of the very last stroke, I had a tendency to do a "flourish" - meaning that I would boost the razor off the end of the strop and lift up with a satisfying grunt - dragging the spine off first, and the cutting edge last but unbeknownst to me I was really rolling the edge at the very last stroke! Aaargh, when I looked at how I stropped trying to figure out why I could not get a sharp blade (on freshly honed good razors) - I almost went nuts - fixed the problem and haven't looked back.

Finally, in passing, you sound like your are moving the strop around a lot, this angle for away stroke, and another angle for strokes toward you - in my opinion, that just adds unnecessary complication, and the possibility of different angles, pressures, etc. I would suggest, that you leave the strop horizontal, in one position, taut as you can, and do the same thing with both sides of your razor to assure evenness in pressure, and coverage.

Just my 2c, sorry so long,

K