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

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.

Originally Posted by Kees

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.

Two, three, four times a year I had to send out to be honed. It's been ten months so far this go around.

You're doing way better than I.
Time to get honing. Grab a practice razor and get going!

Gee kees, as I recall your a physician aren't you? No dexterity? I'll say no more.

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.

I learned everything backward. Pretty much started out honing, then had to learn to shave properly when I finally managed to get a good sharp shaving edge. Then I had to learn to strop right, in order to maintain the sharp edge I just created.

Now pasted strops are kind of taking the fun out of it. I enjoy honing, and the various edges my natural stones give. If I put my pasted strops to work, with the number of razors in my rotation, it could be a long, long time before I need to break out the stones again. Might have to put a sign out front and try to generate some honing business just so I have an inflow of hone-ables to feed the habit.