Thread: Barber's Hold

How do you hold your Barber's Style strop?

Originally Posted by alschepis

How do you hold your Barber's Style strop?

I hope this is of some help. It's from our very own GSSIXGUN/Glen.

Just watched a bit of the video and didn't realize that anyone was holding their strop with their thumb over the top. I've always held them between two fingers.

I do put my thumb on top sort-of. I bend the end of the strop over my finger that is underneath, then pinch the strop with my thumb. This bending over my finger seems to hold it comfortably and keeps it straight, without cupping the strop. JMO.
I've tried Glens way but I just can't hold the strop in that position for very long. Weak fingers? Arthritis? Yes, Arthritic for sure, but I'm not sure that has anything to do with this.

I'm not holding the strop level as I normally do in this pick. But it was just to show how I hold it. I like my 3", handled strops better. But when no handle...

BTW, This is the Boar strop from Tom. I'm really liking this one. A slick and hard piece of leather but still a bit nimble. Thanks, Tom and thanks to the pig who parted with it! Ha.

This is beginning to look like a good reason to buy a strop with a handle, or at least a d-ring at the end. My low-cost SRD English bridle and Dovo el-cheapo are configured like this. I know those expensive Kanayamas don't have handles: why the hay not? Just my opinion, but it sounds like spoiling the ship for a hap'porth of tar.

The handle is a much newer thing. Come on man, do it the old fasion way. Just like shaving with a SR, we shave the old fasion way. I do like the handles, but the barber end is not difficult to do.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Just watched a bit of the video and didn't realize that anyone was holding their strop with their thumb over the top. I've always held them between two fingers.

And I didn't realize anyone was holding the strop between their fingers! I knew some wrapped their hand around the end like a handle bar, but I hadn't seen that before.

I need a handle,

I like using 3" wide strops to avoid the x-pattern when stropping. With a wider strop, cupping would be more of an issue, so I always go for handles. I have been holding only one component of the strop at a time, but I understand why Glen says it is better to hold both components together, so I am going to try that.

Is there any advantage to using a hanging strop over a bench strop or a paddle strop? You can get bench and paddle strops with virtually any kind of leather you want. They are cheaper, more easily transported and do not require as much skill with the stropping motion. And, you don't have to worry about properly tensioning or gripping the strop.

I suspect a newbie is less likely to nick a strop mounted on a piece of wood.

There is no doubt a level of satisfaction associated with stropping the old fashioned way and having a classic strop hanging in the shave den, but is there any real difference in the resulting edge?