Thread: slap sound at roll over/reversal

I'm really trying to work on stropping technique and one thing still bothers me...even with a light pressure so spine is barely denting the strp, when I get some speed up, at rollover the edge talks when it spaps the leather.

I concentrate on the spine leading and already moving before the edge touches, yet there is still the 'ping - ping - ping'. Is this normal ? I guess I'm stressing over rolling the edge, but I keep telling myself It has to make some sound on contact even with lightest possible touch, right ?

You need to slow your roll speed. I can't imagine this could be good for the delicate edge of the razor.

Originally Posted by stove

This is hard to explain but. If I draw the razor down the strop and flip it before starting the reverse trip I get a slap, and earlier in my shaving, an occasional nick in the strop -- because I still had a little forward motion.
Now, I imagine the blade contacting the strop an inch or two into the new direction. Like a plane coming in for a landing. I try to keep complete control of the tang and slowly bring it in for the landing. Make sense?
I will still get a slap if I let let the tang loosen in my fingers and the blade flip on it's own momentum too. This is something I have to focus on to avoid.

Maybe there is too much thought being put into this,,
I would just let the spine of the razor lead the way, reverse/flip gently & lead it back down the strop,,, forget about sounds,,, IMO

No slapping = Good stropping.

The guy who barbered me from 1965 to 1985 (Fred - also gave me my first/only barber shave in 1971) moved his razor on a strop light lightening every time he picked it up. It always went 'fwip-fwap". This didn't bother Fred or me. I figure if I ever reach the "fwip-fwap" stropping plateau then I have really arrived.

Yep, my barber did the same thing, but I have a feeling he had a bunch of razors and spent a fair amount of time practicing his stropping and smoothing his edges on a barber hone. In addition, he was only cleaning up my neck and sideburns, and it was not all that smooth a stroke as I expect now on my face.

Originally Posted by MisterMoo

The guy who barbered me from 1965 to 1985 (Fred - also gave me my first/only barber shave in 1971) moved his razor on a strop light lightening every time he picked it up. It always went 'fwip-fwap". This didn't bother Fred or me. I figure if I ever reach the "fwip-fwap" stropping plateau then I have really arrived.

I know exactly what the OP is saying here - I also get this - but only with certain razors and it only happens at the bottom of the stroke. It doesn't seem to have any detrimental affect.

Another thing I noticed when using a linen strop is that the sound is distinctly different when the razor is moving away compared to when I'm stropping towards myself. Again, there does not appear to be any problem so I put this down to acoustics rather than any difference in my stropping motion.

There is an awful lot of bullshine written about stropping - it's really not that difficult to get a rhythm and keep the spine on leather. If you can manage that, then sleep in peace.

Originally Posted by stove

So ignore feedback from the strop, okay.

Not exactly what I'm saying,,,,,I have different razors, full hollows & large wedges,different leathers,, they do sound a little different during the stropping, but this is not what I focus on when stropping,,,,, the actual stroke & the tautness of the strop as I'm pulling it, fills my thoughts more.

O.K.,,,,,,,,,,

Old time barbers were taught to strop to get the slap. It's like when you go into a japanese restaurant where they cook at your table and the cook plays games with the utensils. With barbers it was the spine that was slapped.