Thread: Stropping vid

I recently posted a thread on the Basic Honing forum regarding the fact that I can hone a razor to a great edge but 10 days to 2 weeks later I'm hitting the hones again, or at least the coticule for a touch up. The consensus of many of the replies was that, as I can get a sharp and smooth edge off of the stones, it must be my honing technique that causes my edge to suffer.

I've done everything I can read about or think of regarding proper honing including the "less is better" mantra with regards to pressure. So, it really got my attention when I watched Seraphim's video and saw how the strop bowed under the pressure of the razor as he stropped. Not that he was applying too much pressure but that he was using a lot more than I do. When I strop, I keep a taut strop and use a light touch so that the strop does not bow in the least.

Does the "less is better" mantra not apply to stropping? Could I be using too little pressure? Of all the aspects of straight shaving, this has frustrated me more than anything.

Originally Posted by lawman2

I recently posted a thread on the Basic Honing forum regarding the fact that I can hone a razor to a great edge but 10 days to 2 weeks later I'm hitting the hones again, or at least the coticule for a touch up. The consensus of many of the replies was that, as I can get a sharp and smooth edge off of the stones, it must be my honing technique that causes my edge to suffer.

I've done everything I can read about or think of regarding proper honing including the "less is better" mantra with regards to pressure. So, it really got my attention when I watched Seraphim's video and saw how the strop bowed under the pressure of the razor as he stropped. Not that he was applying too much pressure but that he was using a lot more than I do. When I strop, I keep a taut strop and use a light touch so that the strop does not bow in the least.

Does the "less is better" mantra not apply to stropping? Could I be using too little pressure? Of all the aspects of straight shaving, this has frustrated me more than anything.

I think it was AFDavis who said something about the hones are for cutting your whiskers, and the strop is for the comfort of your face, or words to that effect. His actual quote is far more eloquent. Anyway, he (and alot of the other gurus around this place) have said that stropping (as long as it's done correctly) can not be over emphasized, or done too much. I also think you're supposed to only apply enough pressure to get the "draw" feeling to whatever surface you are using.

Edit: It has also frustrated me more than the shaving part, too. I would really recommend to anyone thinking of getting their first strop... skip the paddle strop and get a real hanging strop. It'll do a better job while taking less time to do it.

you think you could slow it down to say 1/3 time so I can see what you're actually doing?

Why was the razor wiped on the robe before changing to leather? Paste on the canvas?

Originally Posted by lawman2

I recently posted a thread on the Basic Honing forum regarding the fact that I can hone a razor to a great edge but 10 days to 2 weeks later I'm hitting the hones again, or at least the coticule for a touch up. The consensus of many of the replies was that, as I can get a sharp and smooth edge off of the stones, it must be my honing technique that causes my edge to suffer.

I've done everything I can read about or think of regarding proper honing including the "less is better" mantra with regards to pressure. So, it really got my attention when I watched Seraphim's video and saw how the strop bowed under the pressure of the razor as he stropped. Not that he was applying too much pressure but that he was using a lot more than I do. When I strop, I keep a taut strop and use a light touch so that the strop does not bow in the least.

Does the "less is better" mantra not apply to stropping? Could I be using too little pressure? Of all the aspects of straight shaving, this has frustrated me more than anything.

Interesting that you would say this. I posted a similar thread to the basic honing forum a while back, asking for help with poor edge longevity. I got a number of helpful replies about honing. But it never occurred to me that my stropping was at fault. If somebody had told me, I would not have believed them anyway. But after trying a number of honing suggestions, I started really asking questions about my stropping, as that was the only factor left.

Then I saw a thread from a few weeks ago about stropping speed affecting edge quality (all other things being equal). If the basic stropping stroke is sound, the upshot was that a slow stroke (one every 3 to 5 seconds) didn't maintain an edge as well as a faster stroke (one every 1 or 2 seconds). The test results from deliberate slow stropping were identical to what I was experiencing - a good edge dropping in quality every day, being unshaveable after about 4 or 5 days.

I figured out I have been stropping incorrectly for months. I don't roll my wrist or roll the shank between my thumb and forefinger - I've been doing one half-stroke, changing my grip after flipping the razor, and then finishing the stroke. This lead to inconsistency and slooow speed. Even feeling good draw, I got lousy results. I couldn't change my grip on the shank using my method without lifting the razor off the strop to fumble with it.

So, I tried the flip-the-shank-between-thumb-and-finger method, slowly. It felt completely awkward and unnatural. I chewed up my practice strop badly, and even got a cut or two in on my beloved TM Latigo. But after two days of trying, I could do it. I could do it correctly, and noticeably faster than before. In fact, it only feels right doing it fast and light - when I go slow or lose my quick rhythm is when I bite my strop! Weird. If I lose my best grip on the shank - I stop and lift immediately. I continue after re-adjusting to get the best grip. That stopped the razor biting the strop cold.

I have a world of improving to do, but the fact is that I've been shaving off the same razor for a week, with effectively zero deterioration in the edge. It's like it just came off the hone, every morning. Whatever I'm doing differently now, it's more right than what I was doing before, and I'll continue do it. I was going nuts before the switch in stropping method. I strop the heck out of my razor now, at least twice as many strokes as before in a similar span of time.

Like you, when I saw videos of experienced stroppers like Seraphim stropping, I used to think "wow, he sure seems to be using more pressure than I use. Hmmmm." Since I switched to the fast-flip method, I now see the same thing when I do it - but I've figured out it's not pressure on the *edge*, it's incidental pressure on the *spine* due to the quick flip and the constant contact of the razor with the strop. The actual stroke is very light, but the speed of the flip and the pressure of the contact of the spine during the flip makes the strop jump around a bit more. The grip on the shank is actually pretty tight, but the stroke itself is light.

I hope this long explanation makes sense, and I hope I'm doing it right. It's working for me, anyway.

Neat thread. Sounds like I'm not beating my head against a wall as much as I thought I was . . . Just the other day I was reviewing the words used in several sources to describe stropping pressure. None of them ever suggest "feather light" although some do say "only enough" (to feel a draw). After checking the Barber's Manual currently in the "Help Files" I noticed it said "Normal" pressure. NORMAL?

My stropping is nothing like that, yet produces a pretty similar effect on the razor and strop. I find a little deflection actually helps. I also find a focus on using a feather light touch is overrated. Yet, you can really screw up an edge and make it seem dull if you strop poorly.

This fellow isn't using "feather light" pressure. I bet he gets good results, too. In the slow motion sequence, his technique seems close to perfect. Also noteworthy is that his strop grip and body position relative to the strop closely matches Seraphim's.
YouTube - Razor Strop