Thread: is your razor "singing" on the strop?

I admit I am new. I use a TM 3" latigo. I have been stropping for a month or more. Recently i find that my razor "sings" when I strop. The problem or not , is that to make it sing it feels as if the spine is ever so slightly raised. May be my imagination. Now it won't sing every pass but more and more it does. Oh my 6/8 sings easier than my 5/8. Interesting. Is this a good technique to get your razor to sing while stropping even if the spine is ever so slightly raised?

I'd say no. You should be able to hear the edge on the strop but probably shouldn't be raising the spine if you can avoid it.

Raised spine= roiled edge... no matter how melodious it sings!

Thanks. So If it sings and the spine is perfectly flat, that's ok. I'm not sure that the spine is slightly razed but I get the feeling that it may be. I should take a video of my stropping I guess.

It shouldn't sing. Look for a slight chip, likely near the tip.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

It shouldn't sing. Look for a slight chip, likely near the tip.

All 3 of the razors I have been stropping lately have been singing. Sorry that I can't describe the sound better. Am I the only one that hears this sound when stropping? Would seem to be highly unlikely for all 3 razors to have a chip in the edge. The razors shave well. Maybe I am hallucinating.

You could probably see a change in the color (lighter) of the strop if there was a chip or other problem with the razor as the problem is dragged accross the leather. That would definitely make for a different sound. It probably sings when the spine is against the leather, but the leather absorbs the vibration more because of the contact with the razor. I don't know if allowing the razor to vibrate (sing) is good for it or not. You could try stropping at an angle where it sings and compare the shave to stropping at an angle where it sings, but not let it sing (tape on the spine?/less tension on the strop?). Maybe somebody has done some kind of vibration testing with an ultrasonic cleaner.

That is actually an FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions - Straight Razor Place Wiki, answer courtesy of the venerable Lynn Abrams.

I had a similar issue a while back and got some good advice from the forumn. I rubbed my latigo strop with a pumice stone, not too hard just a very light rub. It roughned the surface of the strop, gave a noticably stronger draw and the razor noise reduced by half. I think the razor was somehow sticking and jumping on the strop to some small degree, the pumice stone really worked.

Regards
London

Originally Posted by mkevenson

All 3 of the razors I have been stropping lately have been singing. Sorry that I can't describe the sound better. Am I the only one that hears this sound when stropping? Would seem to be highly unlikely for all 3 razors to have a chip in the edge. The razors shave well. Maybe I am hallucinating.

No, your right. Sounds like the strop then.