Thread: Technique Feedback Please

I agree with Euclid about rolling the edge. To me the common denominator is the flat paddle type strops. In my view they invite pressure in order to get the razor through the length of it. I think over the last five or so years I have used a paddle strop, and half a dozen different hanging strops. Many I damaged. Then I discovered Kanayama strops. Do yourself a favour and try one out. They increase for me, the quality of the edge and are a pleasure to use. The cordovan stropping surface is slick and is shiny to the eye, meaning very light pressure is all that is needed, due to the lack of draw. I've been using a #70000 for about 9 months as my everyday strop, and it improves with age. I've also not put a mark on it. No nicks. I believe it's strop discipline. Meaning you take a bit more care with a $200 strop, than the cheaper ones. Give it a go.

The other issue that I saw in your vid, besides what ScoutHikerDad already pointed out, is that at times you are putting the shoulder of the razor on the strop. You want just the blade edge on the strop.

You are stropping correctly when you hear just a hiss when the razor moves down the strop. If the sound is loud and the edge feels a little "gravelly" the edge is not there yet from the honing. At least these are a couple of tells that work for me.

Bob

Hi everybody,

Thanks for all your replies. Both razors I tried were shave ready to begin with - that's not the problem. Phil at ClassicEdge (twice!) made my Dovo shave-ready and str8razor did the Kropp. I'm very confident that the razors didn't hit anything either.

I'll invest in an hanging strop, re-read your suggestions, practice some more with a knife and a newspaper strop, and get the edges fixed.
As for the Kanayama strop, I'll skip that advice for now - unless there is some amazing Father's Day sale I'm not aware of. Something about the price tag and the fact that I'm not convinced yet I'll continue straight shaving (I gave myself 6 months).

And I'll ping Badgister too

Originally Posted by malaverdiere

Hi everybody,

Thanks for all your replies. Both razors I tried were shave ready to begin with - that's not the problem. Phil at ClassicEdge (twice!) made my Dovo shave-ready and str8razor did the Kropp. I'm very confident that the razors didn't hit anything either.

I'll invest in an hanging strop, re-read your suggestions, practice some more with a knife and a newspaper strop, and get the edges fixed.
As for the Kanayama strop, I'll skip that advice for now - unless there is some amazing Father's Day sale I'm not aware of. Something about the price tag and the fact that I'm not convinced yet I'll continue straight shaving (I gave myself 6 months).

And I'll ping Badgister too

Don't give up. In fact, I often cheated in the beginning by finishing the shave with a cartridge razor when my edges and technique weren't quite there.

Originally Posted by malaverdiere

Hi everybody,

Thanks for all your replies. Both razors I tried were shave ready to begin with - that's not the problem. Phil at ClassicEdge (twice!) made my Dovo shave-ready and str8razor did the Kropp. I'm very confident that the razors didn't hit anything either.

I'll invest in an hanging strop, re-read your suggestions, practice some more with a knife and a newspaper strop, and get the edges fixed.
As for the Kanayama strop, I'll skip that advice for now - unless there is some amazing Father's Day sale I'm not aware of. Something about the price tag and the fact that I'm not convinced yet I'll continue straight shaving (I gave myself 6 months).

And I'll ping Badgister too

I have had razors honed by Phil and they sure were shave ready. In your original post you say the edge does not last past 1 or 2 shaves. If you have been stropping before each shave it could be your stropping that is dulling the edge. The blade does not have to hit anything to go dull, poor stropping will do that right quick.

Take a pro honed razor and shave without stropping it the first time and even second and third to see if it dulls as quickly as before when you were stropping before each shave. If it remains sharper than when you were stropping the razor you have your answer. It is your stropping doing the dulling.

Yes, do not invest in an expensive strop till you are good at stropping. Nothing hurts more than slicing up an expensive strop instead of a less expensive one.

Bob

You can use the paddle, just watch the pressure. Hold up one end of the strop, so if you do use pressure your hand and arm will absorb some of it.

Your edge may have been shave ready, but may not be now. Look at the edge, straight down with magnification and light, any reflection is where the bevels are damaged and no longer meeting. It will have to see a hone to re-set it.

More importantly, if it is not shaving arm hair, you don’t have an edge. You may be able to restore it with a Chinese Natural, but be sure the bevels are fully meeting before you strop, then use light pressure to maintain it.

One word of the original post jumps out at me.....pressure. Never use pressure for shaving or stropping.

The only time pressure should be used, is by very experienced blade honers that are trying to make a correction on an edge.

If, as you say, you have deployed pressure while stropping, the edge is most assuredly distorted.

So I finally got the chance to meet my mentor, and he showed me how little pressure was needed for stropping. So that's one thing clarified!

So I'm now being much gentler with my razor, and I'm waiting for a good hanging strop's delivery

Thanks again everybody.