Thread: Learning to strop

In starting out, I used the fingertips only, pencil-roll flip, keeping the wrist fixed. This lead to unexplained nicks along the edge of my strop from time to time. Then, after a brief exchange with a member on another forum at the time, and who has sadly passed away (Jerry, mrsell63, RIP), he encouraged me to grip the shank (tang) more diagonally and make a slight turn of the wrist during the flip. Following his recommendations, I have yet to nick or cut a strop since, as I am more in control; whereas with the pencil-roll flip, the strop is in charge.

Linked is one of Sham's videos, which is similar to my stropping method. The only significant differences I have with it are that I hold both elements at the same time, preferring a barber's square-end cut, and that I start at the top rather than at the bottom as shown.