Thread: Stropping is the work of the devil...

Tossing one, much less three Kanayama strops into this discussion borders on cruelty. I have made friends with the lesser strop which I have, and aspire to own a Kanayama if I live that long.

Originally Posted by bobski

I enjoy stropping. It's a skill for sure, but of the shaving disciplines it is probably the easiest to get right in reasonably short order.

Boy, wish that were true for me. I've been at this hobby for a couple years and still feel like stropping is pretty hard to get right. I seem to keep nicking the lower right edge so clearly i must be doing something wrong.

I am in the midst of going ahead with the Mastro Livi method of light x-strokes that end with the toe of the razor going completely off the strop. Will see how that goes.

I guess if it's been 2 years and you're still doing it tough, get back to basics. If you are not using a 3 Inch strop, then that would be a good start. Do you cut your linen, cotton 2nd? My guess is you have the stropping 'yips'. Yep, like putting in golf. You don't cut the 2nd piece, but your so self conscious about not cutting it that it's inevitable.
Here is a tactic you might find challenging. All will say, get a cheap strop so if you cut it, then all is not lost. Use reverse psychology on that thing, fight back. Buy yourself a Kanayama #70000, costs you $198 USD from Aframestokyo, that way you will develop what I call 'strop discipline'. Make the issue of cutting a strop something that has got consequences, if you cut the $40 buck strop who cares, but cut the $200 buck Kanayama and it is a bloody big deal, it will hurt if you cut it, it does matter! Give it a try, my guess is for you, and you only it is the crossing of that line in the sand, I reckon, you get that Kanayama you'll never cut a strop again. I'm serious, try it.
Regards Bob

I have been sick the past couple of months. I used to follow all of the stropping threads. Got to where I didn't care if I shaved or even got a hair cut. Spent 10 days in the Hospital last month,(for copd). I had grown a beard before I went to the hospital, I shaved it off a day or so before I came home. I have shaved several times since I have been home. If I could hold my razor in my hands I would feel more like shaving daily. I have been home for a month today. I need to get one of my straights out and go find me a good strop and practice. I saw a great You Tube video about stropping maybe I will watch that again.

Can anyone have too many Kanayama strops?

What an appropriate title for a thread.

My collection has not gone past four Kanayama's. I don't include a #50000 I gave to my son, as he is now getting into straight razor shaving aged 26. So I think four is the line of demarcation. Any more than four and even I can see my mania is in action. I also don't regret owning any of them, some people love old clocks, Faberge and some collect stamps. I'll wager my four strops don't cost near as much as a Faberge Clock!

I have never really mastered the art of stropping. I can get my razors ever so sharp with the hone but never got more than 10 shaves out of an edge before having to hone again. I have tried everything: more or less pressure, more or less slack, with or without linen, true flax linen, cotton.
So it really is the work of the devil.

BTW I only use quality strops: a Tony Miller latigo and a Kanayama.

Originally Posted by Kees

I have never really mastered the art of stropping. I can get my razors ever so sharp with the hone but never got more than 10 shaves out of an edge before having to hone again. I have tried everything: more or less pressure, more or less slack, with or without linen, true flax linen, cotton.
So it really is the work of the devil.

BTW I only use quality strops: a Tony Miller latigo and a Kanayama.

Was the same for me for I am heavy handed. Not saying you are. Finally using the lightest touch I can muster, I started to get some decent stropping (SRD Bridle). Still gives the creeps I will drop my razor with such a light touch but I am getting there. I want to try honing, have collected the stones, but not until I am confident with my stropping.

Originally Posted by jmercer

Was the same for me for I am heavy handed. Not saying you are. Finally using the lightest touch I can muster, I started to get some decent stropping (SRD Bridle). Still gives the creeps I will drop my razor with such a light touch but I am getting there. I want to try honing, have collected the stones, but not until I am confident with my stropping.

Lack of dexterity is what I call my condition. I am glad I started honing as soon as I started straight razor shaving. Dread to think how much money I would have spent on honing had I not honed my own razors.