Thread: Sounds on strop

My Dovo quality 5/8 is making a slight scratching noise on my TM horsehide honey brown strop. I can not see any chipping in the blade, and the strop is not being scratched. Is this normal?

Hollow grounds tend to be noisy! On the other hand, if your shave is bad you might be lifting the spine a little

Well there will be a little noise... but "scratching" to me usually means that i do not have the spine and edge both laying flat on the strop. when they are it is almost lyrical.

I did notice that maybe I should concentrate more on the strop than the razor. I stropped about 20 laps without sounds so it must be my error. What do you think I should do to correct the razor i dulled? A few swipes on a swaty?

I watched Lynn strop up a razor on google video tonight. The strop is really flexing alot. What technique is this?

well before i went running for the stone i would try 60 laps on the linen and 60 more on the leather (or 120 on leather) and then a test shave to see if it is bad.... in fact perhaps 40 laps on the strop and a test shave would be a better starting place
i think everyone has lifted a spine a from time to time ... it does not always mean the end of the edge.

All razors are different and strops are also. I find several razors I have make that kind of noise when I strop. On the other hand I have a TM Horsehide and I find razors make almost no sound on it as opposed to cowhide which is way more scratchy. As long as the razor shaves good I wouldn't worry and I wouldn't start doing any additional stropping or honing.

Have you stropped this razor before, and has the sound changed from what you heard previously? Have you started to strop a bit quicker than before?

I agree with the others that a hollow can make a bit of noise on the strop. "Scratchy" wouldn't be how I describe it, but I can sort of see what you might mean. Mine make a "sschhhhick" type noise if that's any help.

James.

Listen to the strop, listen to the razor, but also listen to Bigspendur and don't worry overmuch.

I have a Wacker I'm gonna rename the Whiner, the thing just whinnies on the strop. Why I have no idea. I have a TI wedge that sounds like it's putting suntan lotion on its shoulders, and a Filly that sounds like it's unzipping its fly. Their business is their business, so long as they shave me good.

A wonderfully enlightening discussion for those of us who are rather hard of hearing. Whish, whoosh, whine, scratch, ssshhhick: who'dda thunk it. Oops, thunk is something we try to avoid, right?

Bruce

There's a Sticky at the top of this forum in which Lynn addresses some aspects of the stropping sounds.

I agree that you should worry too much about it if your razor is shaving well. Different razors have different sounds and feel on the strop.

Jordan