Thread: Question about stropping

Hi Guy’s,

I have heard it said in some posts that "they” have stropped a razor 300 laps.

What would be the reason and benefit of doing that rather than 60?

My razor still shaves but not like it did compared to some of my others.

I don’t really want to send it for honing yet because I’ve only used it less than 20 times.

I’m a newbie and I’m not great with a strop yet but would really going at the strop for 300 or so laps help give me back my edge?

I suppose that if I don’t do anything good for my edge I could just send it off to be honed after all.

Steve

PS - I've just noticed that there is a thread about stropping that would have been more suitable for this post. My apologies but I don't know how I can move it.

While 300 laps seem like a lot at first blush, once you have mastered stropping, it just takes a couple minutes.

And that is the problem. Until you master stropping, (takes about a year or two) you will be doing more harm than good. It only takes one errant swipe to wipe out, roll an edge.

A lot depends on the condition of the razor’s edge and the strop. Strops can vary widely in their ability to polish an edge, as can technique.

A year seems like a lot but think about it. They say it takes 1,000 perfect repetitions to learn a new skill, and 3,000 repetitions to unlearn bad technique. If you strop daily, that’s only 365 events, and how many are laps are perfect repetitions?

If you go by a Golf Course Driving Range, you will see hundreds of golfers whacking golf balls, how may have a coach behind them correcting each stroke? What are they practicing, good or bad technique?

I will strop a freshly honed razor 100 laps on a progression of strops, but daily shavers get 10-15 on linen and 20-30 on leather prior to shaving.

You must learn to strop, and the only way to learn, is to strop.

Take your time, pay attention, use lite pressure and do not get distracted. Do not strop while some one is in the room and do not talk with anyone. The only times I have ever nicked a strop is while talking. When my bride comes in the room, I stop stropping.

Keep the spine on the strop at all times, use lite pressure and grasp the razor from the corners of the tang, between the thumb and forefinger, flip the razor like flipping a switch with the thumb, keep the spine on the strop at all times.

This will keep you from slamming the edge into the strop and with too much pressure.

A Qtip run along the edge of the razor will tell you if you rolled the edge or have a microchip.

You will have to send it out or learn to touch it up eventually. Once you do master stropping you can keep a razor shaving very well for a very long time, theoretically indefinitely.

The shaving edge is so thin we can not see it with 400X magnification, it does not take much to roll or break it.

You might browse this thread

There is quite a few tips and tricks in there from Beginners to Experts

https://sharprazorpalace.com/stroppi...st-2012-a.html

Originally Posted by Euclid440

I will strop a freshly honed razor 100 laps on a progression of strops, but daily shavers get 10-15 on linen and 20-30 on leather prior to shaving.

Hi, My stropping has improved to the point where I can give a razor 30 on canvas and 60 on leather after a shave to clean and polish it then another 50 on canvas and 100 on leather before I shave with it again about 2 weeks later.

My edges are smooth keen and comfortable so I am confident I am doing it correctly but even if I am doing the wrong type & number of laps, my technique feels ok to me.

The reason I wanted to revisit this post is that you said that you use a progression of strops. I have been told that by another mentor too but it has also been suggested by others that the draw of a strop is a personal thing that makes no difference to the blade.

I am a bit confused and hope you might be able to clarify the whole draw thing for me.

Is it worth stropping on a progression of draws in the same way that one hones on a progression of stones?

Stropping is polishing.

A strop progression is that different strops can produce different finishes/polish.

You will only find out the amount of “polish” by experimenting with a variety of strops and shaving with them. All my leather strops, in use, about 20, are vintage except for a few I have made.

Vintage strops and how they are reconditioned, rehydrated and finished will make for different polish and draw. You can add oil, scrape or sand the face to give more draw and wax for less draw.

Draw and polish are not the same thing, just because a strop has more draw does not mean it will polish better. I have a new purchased Kayanama Cordovan and 2 vintage Kayanama reconditioned, all 3 provide different polish. I do like the suede finished Kayanama it has a nice feel and a medium draw, it also polishes nicely.

So, if a razor just feels a bit lacking but not enough to go to paste, I hit the suede Kayanama. Then Kanayama linen and finish on Cordovan. About 10 laps on each lightening up the pressure on each.

A lot also depends on the razor and steel. When stropping more pressure and polish is put on the edge. If you strop on a pasted strop you will see that the very edge polishes first, and really that is all you need. You shave with the edge, not the full bevel.

In addition to leather I have Firehose, Sail cloth, paper, vintage flax and nylon, and then there are pasted strops Chrome Ox, Ferrous Ox, Cerium CBN and Diamond from .50um to .10um. 2-3 laps on CBN or 200K diamonds can transform and edge.

For leather I like vintage and for flax linen strops.

Do you need a strop progression? It is just another rabbit hole, and vintage strops are not expensive if you shop around and are willing to recondition them. I often buy vintage strops for $2-10 at antique swap meets. Sometimes just for the hardware or the linen. Often the leather is trashed, but the linen will clean up pristine.

A progression isn't necessary, I used a smaller 1.5" x 20" plain leather strop for a few years.

If you don't feel like spending the money and you're happy with your edges, I wouldn't bother. I like to try everything under the sun, so I will buy more strops in the future. But for now, my kanayama is the only strop I need.

What Marty said.
I find myself finishing on a Roo strop, most of the time. Its becoming my favorite strop material, especially for smilers., as it molds itself to the shape of the blade, and eliminates the needed x pass for this type of blade

I use Theirs Issard strop paste from The Art of Shaving on the canvas. It helps maintain the edge and improves it some. I touch up my razors only once a year.

The thread that Glen sent you is good to look through but just want additional thought. I know you said you just got a hanging strop. Make sure you hold it taught. This picture from eBay makes me cringe.



If you let a strop hang like that you'll roll your edge on the first lap.

also simce your new sending it out to be honed this early is not bad thing, you need a great edge to learn to shave, just get a spare to shave with while one is away.. like Marty says it takes a while till you begin improving an edge with the strop, yet the strop is your most important tool in the box for maintaining an edge