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  1. #1
    Member AFDavis11's Avatar
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    Default Dulling blades on a strop

    Over the last 2 months I've been experimenting. Although I doubt anyone will find much interest in this post I thought I would discuss it anyway (its a forum afterall, right?)

    I've been experimenting to discover two things:

    1) What is the best way to dull an edge with a strop; and

    2) What are the best corrective actions afterward

    Now you might be thinking, why such a stupid experiment? I can only say that once your past the whole "whats the best way to sharpen, strop, shave" type of stuff you kinda run out of experiments pretty quick, but if you read on you might find some interesting points.

    I have to start by saying I limited my tools to a standard lightweight/thin high end Dovo strop, about 2 1/2 inches wide and a barber hone. I did this mostly because I completely misinterpreted the amount of damage that occurs to an edge when it gets dulled on a strop. I might have broken out a 4K had I known better.

    What I have concluded is that the best way to dull an edge with a strop is by allowing sag to occur during the stropping action. This is by far more likely to cause dulling than the application of pressure while stropping on a taut strop.

    Before the experiment I used to feel that too much pressure and too much sag were probably about equal culprits in the dulling of an edge.

    Next, I discoved that the best corrective action is 70-90 strokes on a barber hone.

    I was really shocked at the amount of work required to get the razor back up to speed. I thought, before the experiment, that I could correct the problem with better stropping, different stropping, or even say 10-20 strokes on a barber hone.

    Even with light pressure and a sagging strop I created enough edge dulling to require a lot of work on the hone, more than I had ever expected.

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    Bart (05-13-2008), coully (05-11-2008), driver/examiner (05-13-2008), gssixgun (05-10-2008), Leofric (05-13-2008), Nicolas (05-13-2008), poona (05-10-2008), Sondheim (05-10-2008), superfly (05-11-2008), wescap34 (05-11-2008), Wildtim (05-11-2008)

  3. #2
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    I agree with you Alan.
    The "best" way to dull a razor is light pressure on a sagging strop.
    It is interesting to discover what happens with a lot of pressure (on the spine) on a sagging strop.

  4. #3
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    That's quite the study! Definitely going to have to really watch the tautness of the strop in future.

  5. #4
    Never a dull moment hoglahoo's Avatar
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    Thanks for this useful post!

    Attention to detail like this saves me a lot of time on occasion, and I have suspected my early stropping to have dulled one of my razors. I do believe I will go at it on my fine stone longer than I was previously willing.
    Find me on SRP's official chat in ##srp on Freenode. Link is at top of SRP's homepage

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    Just to be clear, Alan, when you talk about sagging, you aren't talking about a strop that is just short of taut, but is really sagging--describing a slope or making a U-shaped valley, so to speak?

    I guess it makes sense, because when you are going done that slope, you aren't going parallel to the strop anymore. You are almost dragging the edge across the strop's surface--or at least that's the mental picture I get.

    Thanks for doing this so others don't!

    Dan

  7. #6
    At this point in time... gssixgun's Avatar
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    Actually a great experiment !!!!!!
    I have always said a strop is a tool that either brings a keen fine edge to a razor or will wreck one faster than you would ever believe....
    I will admit that I never realized how bad it could wreck one though, I would have thought the 20 strokes on a fine hone would bring it back too....
    Thanks for taking the time and effort Alan

  8. #7
    Oh Yes! poona's Avatar
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    Nothing wrong with this experiment Alan.

    Once we find the cause, we can eliminate the cure. And this does that exactly. I always wondered about people saying using a heavy stroke on the strop dulls the edge because I lean a fair bit on the strop (linen side). I find this gives me a better edge and can often save me having to go to the stones.

    Excellent!

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  10. #8
    Member AFDavis11's Avatar
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    Yes, sir, that is correct. I am not referring to mild deflection. I have decided to go so far as to separate the concepts entirely with a different word.

    This was a full on sag and a light touch, about 2 inches of sag at the middle of the strop.

    I often strop with a "relaxed" strop, almost straight but not hyper taut.

    Quote Originally Posted by dcarmell View Post
    Just to be clear, Alan, when you talk about sagging, you aren't talking about a strop that is just short of taut, but is really sagging--describing a slope or making a U-shaped valley, so to speak?

    I guess it makes sense, because when you are going done that slope, you aren't going parallel to the strop anymore. You are almost dragging the edge across the strop's surface--or at least that's the mental picture I get.

    Thanks for doing this so others don't!

    Dan
    Last edited by AFDavis11; 05-11-2008 at 05:44 PM.

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  12. #9
    Member AFDavis11's Avatar
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    That is interesting. I've been wondering about pressure on the linen lately. I'll have to try that.

    Quote Originally Posted by poona View Post
    I lean a fair bit on the strop (linen side). I find this gives me a better edge and can often save me having to go to the stones.

    Excellent!

  13. #10
    There is no charge for Awesomeness Jimbo's Avatar
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    Haha! I found out the best way to wipe an edge off with a strop almost the first time I laid razor to leather.... It's an easy three step process:

    1. paste one side of strop with Dovo red paste;

    2. Lay razor on pasted strop;

    3. Let the strop sag, and strop away!

    Beautiful dull edge in seconds

    I'm glad you did this experiment Alan - like Poona says, knowing the cause helps avoid the problem. Your post brought back traumatic and deeply suppressed memories for me, and I can now recall and totally agree with how much effort is required to fix up the edge...

    James.
    <This signature intentionally left blank>

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