Arrogant Stropping

So figured I would share my experience and hopefully someone can learn from my mistakes. Well as the title says I got a little cocky while stropping and the results were not good. Been shaving with a straight since November so am still fairly new at this. Well a couple weeks ago, I trashed the edge on my Ralf Aust with my sloppy stropping. Started going really fast and not paying any attention to what I was doing really, well luckily I have the flip down pat and my strop was saved from nicks. With all that said, don't get cocky with this hobby, as soon as you do bad things will follow. So take your time stropping and make sure your doing it right. As I have read on here, stropping is king and honing is queen. Also wanted to add that perfect practice makes perfection, make sure you haven't learned any bad habits. Took me about a month to correct my form and muscle memory from going back to my sloppy stropping. Good honest re-evaluation is always a smart thing to do. Hope this helps someone out there.

Thank you for sharing,

Posts like this are few and far between because no one wants to admit their mistakes, and we have all made them when starting out..

I destroyed my first edge because I didn't notice the way my barber was actually flipping the razor back in 81 when I learned... So I promptly lifted the spine and flipped it dragging the edge on the strop.. He laughed when I appeared in his shop the next day Strop Razor and Stone in hand :(

been shaving a year now with straight and have not damaged a razor or strop so far like that.


but i have been gaining speed the last few months so i should probably be taking your advice and be more careful;-)


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Originally Posted by gssixgun

Thank you for sharing,

Posts like this are few and far between because no one wants to admit their mistakes, and we have all made them when starting out..

:(

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I thought I made a mistake once but was mistaken.....:rofl2:

This hobby can be humbling and often in expensive and painful ways.

I've entered six years of straight razor shaving and love this hobby. My 1st strop a Taylor of old Bond Street 2 incher, I destroyed in about three weeks, trying to do what the videos did. My second strop lasted about six months. I didn't destroy it but I have to admit it wasn't in good shape. I think I developed something when I bought my 1st Kanayama strop, a #10000, I call it strop discipline. If it costs a bit of money you tend to take more care. Now I have three Kanayama's, my everyday strop, the #70000, it's been intact and wonderful for about 9 months. Not a nick. I have an #80000 that I've been fondling occasionally, but keeping it in reserve. Try buying a high end strop, and you'll see what I mean about 'strop discipline '!

Indeed, matters not how fast you strop. Just how you strop.
I tend to go slower and always watch the top flip.
Simply because that is where I made previous mistakes.

Straights have that Macho image.

I wonder why those of us that use them tend towards issues like this?:hmmm:

This one time I finished honing up a stubborn razor and was in a mindless zombie mode. Went to strop and I did the right stropping method, just with the razor turned the wrong way. Strop was Illinois so it was stiffer and slick. Let's just say lucky I'm a light stropper, noticed it felt weird and fixed my mistake after 1 pass, luckily no damage. Upgraded strops but keeping this one for my friend to practice on

One big old Engels Perfection I had would mesmerize me.....
Nicked two different strops on the top flip.
Sold that one! No such problems since? :D
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Originally Posted by sharptonn

One big old Engels Perfection I had would mesmerize me.....
Nicked two different strops on the top flip.
Sold that one! No such problems since? :D

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The mesmerize thing...hilarious...happens to me all the time.

Especially lately with the new Livi Loom Strop, just makes the bevel gleam.

One night, woke up, was in my bathroom and decided to strop a razor, didn't realize the door wasn't fully closed, and the wife and kids heard me, wife came down and watched me for a minute, said it was me, "self-soothing" by stropping...haha....told her it is incredibly calming, and the other benefit is it makes your razor nice and ready for a great shave.

But yea, can get into stropping a blade and blink out of the Universe for a little while...:D

That's brilliant phrank, it's as though one can be caught out red handed, strop in hand....lol

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Originally Posted by Phrank

The mesmerize thing...hilarious...happens to me all the time.

Especially lately with the new Livi Loom Strop, just makes the bevel gleam.

One night, woke up, was in my bathroom and decided to strop a razor, didn't realize the door wasn't fully closed, and the wife and kids heard me, wife came down and watched me for a minute, said it was me, "self-soothing" by stropping...haha....told her it is incredibly calming, and the other benefit is it makes your razor nice and ready for a great shave.

But yea, can get into stropping a blade and blink out of the Universe for a little while...:D

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So many rude possible comments to avoid here!

Regarding the OP's comment, yes muscle memory is critical.
Often at meet-ups I see people flipping the blade the wrong way and I immediately ask them how long they have been honing. If it has been more than a couple of weeks' worth, then I just tell them how they SHOULD have been doing it but that the odds are good that it is too late for them to change so they should continue as they have been doing it. On the other hand, if it is their first day of honing, then I try to get them to be conscious of the right way to flip it and correct them each time they do it the wrong way so that they can establish the right muscle memory.