Thread: Help with stropping technique please

I have been shaving with a straight for about 9 months. I recently sent in my first purchased razor for honing and have been using a newly purchased razor from the same source. I got by on my first razor for about six months before needing to send it in. I thought I had my stropping technique down but I am now second guessing myself. I am at almost three months on this second razor and I feel, my face feels, like I need to send it in for its second honing already. I have checked to local help section in the beginners guide but didn't find anyone listed in Indiana. I was wondering if there are any members willing to help me with stropping, communicating over the Internet? I was thinking of making a video and sending it to someone willing to help.

Thanks,

INstr8

I just checked the membership list for Indiana. Found 76 members. If you go over the list and pull out those that have late 2014 and 2015 posts and PM the senior Members I'm sure they will be more than glad to help. You can also go to Advanced Search in the membership lists and put in your local and, if necessary surrounding locales for Senior Members near to you.

Thanks, I thought local members would have come up in the link I look at. I guess that was more for verified mentors and such. I'll give that list a look.

You were correct, verified Mentors available. Who, by the way, if you don't find anyone in the Indiana lists PM a Mentor in the state nearest to you for assistance. Electronic mentoring has been quite successful in the past.

Post a video of you stropping. We can all give options. If you made it six months on the first edge chances are you are doing ok. The second edge may be a different make or grind? Or it just was not as sharp as the first.

Is the sound of your stropping consistent? Are there slaps or strange noises other than the edge gliding on leather/linen? Have you started applying pressure or slack to your strop?

Nothing here about a refresh in the last 3 months...my razor normally needs help beyond stropping (ie crox/diamond) well before three months. Certainly your stropping needs to be dialed in to refresh but maybe your stopping isn't so bad and you just need to refresh?? More detail would help....I know someone on here is going be able to help you!

The stropping doesn't sound right guys. Turn the volume up and listen . . .

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

The stropping doesn't sound right guys. Turn the volume up and listen . . .

That's what I thought but I'm the newb here. My leather does have some scratches and scrapes from learning on it. Could that be the sound you're hearing ? I'll attach a pic of it. Could it be a defect in the razor no one has noticed till now. The razor I sent in to have honed was shaving better than this at its worst.



IDK, but I'm going crazy trying to figure this out. I do want to thank everyone for the help.

My guess is the strop has an issue, to me it sounds like it's been treated incorrectly, or is defective, or has been cross contaminated with honing compound. Those nicks look pretty deep too.

I'm a newbie too.

I'm not quite tracking on your last comment. Just be patient, we'll work it.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

I'm not quite tracking on your last comment. Just be patient, we'll work it.

I was talking about the razor I was using previously to this one. I sent in a dovo best 5/8 full hollow for honing. When I did that I got out the Aust 5/8 full hollow to shave with. The only sharpening the Aust has had was its initial honing.

The Aust was purchased as a gift, I looked at it briefly and put it away and haven't touched it until recently. That is why I'm so confused as to what could be wrong with the blade, it's hardly been used. Unless it came to me that way.