Stropping a smiling razor?

[Marshal]

Just wondering if there is anything different about stropping a razor with a smile. My Germania Cutlery works has a slight smile to it, and it seems to have dulled really quickly - I may have gotten 3 or 4 shaves out of it before it began tugging, and in my estimation it took way too many passes on the barber hone to get it good enough to make a passable shave. thinking if maybe there was some negative action in the stropping department, and just wondering if there's any difference in the technique for these?

[tcrideshd]

I haven't notice anything different and a couple of mine have big smiles, that's not a lot of shaves before tugging, I get a few months out of mine with stropping, but I,m sure with as much give in a strop it doesn't matter, but there will be someone along who knows for sure, maybe edge ain't right. Tc

[rodb]

I don't have any with really big smiles, but I haven't noticed any difference with what I've stropped between a straighter edge and slight to medium smiles

[Utopian]

I don't believe that there is any different technique needed, but you can test this for yourself. Try the same marker test used for honing. Gently mark the bevel and then take a single stropping stroke on each side. See what happens.

[TwistedOak]

do you do x strokes when you strop your smilers? If you're just going straight up and down the strop you're may be missing the toe and heel areas.

[Marshal]

do you do x strokes when you strop your smilers? If you're just going straight up and down the strop you're may be missing the toe and heel areas.

No, I kinda cant the blade 45 degrees so (hopefully) the strop gets the whole edge, and rely on the strop being flexible to conform to the edge. I was wondering if maybe I should be using a rolling x style pattern to strop, since that's what it's honed with.

I spent a lot of time on that edge, and I was confident it was right. The first couple of shaves were very clean, if a tiny bit harsh. I presumed that was just a pressure problem on my end of things. I checked to be sure the bevel meets properly, I don't see any shiny spots when looking straight down at it. Maybe I'll run it through the hones again tomorrow depending on how things go with the sharpie test.

[PuFFaH]

Syptom suggest to me that the edge was not totally shave ready to start with. As the edge gave way, the strop was not enough to recover the edge.
A smiling edge is stopped the same as a straight, but using X pattern will permit you to favour the shape during the stroke.
As a foot note, try a pasted strop to see if you can bring the edge back to shave ready or a good dry linen.

[markbignosekelly]

If a razor has a slight smile a normal x stroke should work fine. With a nice big smile an x stroke with either heel or toe leading does the job.

[sqzbxr]

I strop all razors with an x-stroke, and I allow just a bit of slack in the strop for smiling edges.

[10Pups]

I have a tendency to use a windshield wiper motion when stropping a smiler. Maybe a habit from honing them. :<0)

Note : I use a paddle strop.