Thread: Re examining stropping technique!

I decided to focus on the one thing I have not changed from the beginning which is stropping technique and by the way I thought I had that one in the bag. I watched the videos from the thread Stroptober and others, read many proper strop technique threads. I came to the conclusion that there was one thing in stropping a razor I was doing the opposite of. Which I believe is the most important part of stropping a razor. "Burying the spine into the strop!" It is not something that is easy to explain or demonstrate. Maybe someone else could chime in to spell this technique out?

My main point of posting this is to re assert how important proper stropping is and to show how someone could arrogantly ignore the fundamentals and basics of specific stropping techniques and prevent the enjoyment of shaving from ones self because they didn't think the suggestion was worth looking into. So Please listen and actually try the suggestions from the pros thank you lol

Thank you to all those who have suggested to me to re examine my stropping technique from the many other threads I have posted...you were right...and thank you to those who have been patient in helping me...

Could you link to the videos you believe were most important to improve your technique?

dshaves,

Good on you for focusing your attention to such an important part of getting a straight razor truly shaving sharp!

By "burying the spine into the strop", what you are probably doing is getting good contact between the edge of the razor and the strop. Stropping with a little bit of slack and "burying the spine" will do that effectively, as will keeping the strop more taught and subtly "torquing" the edge into the strop. Or a combination of a little of each.

Most folks on this forum will "pooh-pooh" this, but stropping with the spine just barely touching the strop, or not touching the strop at all and with a very light touch will also work very well. (But I wouldn't advise a beginner to try that - I've been stropping blades of all kinds for over 30 years).

It's hard to describe the "feel" or if you will, the "feedback" one gets when a good combination has been achieved, but once you've "got it" - you've got it for life.

Enjoy,
Jeff

Originally Posted by ppucci

Could you link to the videos you believe were most important to improve your technique?

I couldn’t attach those videos, I watched too many videos to list them here but if you search in the search bar you will find them there. Look at the pros demonstrations you will notice a similarity between them!

One thing I would like to point out is making sure strop is flat as well. I haven't been paying much attention when rubbing my strop with palm of my hand but I believe I was not putting even pressure. Was not getting full coverage stropping so now my strop is under some heavy books. I could see this being overlooked as well possibly.

you will often hear them say to use "weight of the blade" only. If you watch just about any (i have to admit i haven't watched all that many) people strop you will see from the way the strop flexes that they are using way more than the weight of the blade.
I like to think of my stopping as putting pressure on the spine (enough to make good contact) and letting the edge trail behind. I can tell by the sound how much pressure is on the edge and adjust accordingly. Just a light whisping sound is what i aim for.

Originally Posted by tintin

I like to think of my stopping as putting pressure on the spine (enough to make good contact) and letting the edge trail behind. I can tell by the sound how much pressure is on the edge and adjust accordingly. Just a light whisping sound is what i aim for.

Perfect way to put it thank you! I was putting light pressure on the spine which wasn’t contacting the leather much making the edge itself take all the brunt of me torquing the edge down. Making a loud hisss sound indicating the burnishing and blunting of the shaving edge wooops!