Thread: strop nicking

hey pretty much every time i strop i nick it a little. im a noob obviously but... its seems more common than it should be, last time i stropped i cut into it pretty deep. what should i do

I nicked my practice strop a few times when first starting and it was because I was trying to go to fast without having the technique. I ended up just going very slow until the motion was natural, then slowly added a little speed.

Yea, very slow. Take it easy and be . . . whats a good word? Diliberate. Make sure the razor NEVER stops moving on the strop. It must keep moving constantly. Start the return movement BEFORE the edge touches down on the strop.

Fluid, smooth, gentle.

DeathM,

When you are getting to the end of the strop stroke, begin to rotate the edge off the strop while keeping the spine on the strop. Then as you reverse direction, the edge being up, it can't cut it, so to speak. Bring the edge down into contact while beginning the stroke and resume stropping, and again, and again, and again...

I do it fairly firmly so I can hear the razor slightly slap the strop. Since the word on the street is easy, easy, easy with stropping a razor, I can't recommend this for you. On the other hand, it works for me. Remember to start the stroke, either forth or back, before letting the edge contact the strop. All this time the spine is in contact with the strop. Don't stop the stroke while the razor is in contact with the strop, or you're asking for that nick or slice to appear, unasked, unappreciated.

good luck, good stropping, good shaving,

VERY slowly. Feel that all parts of the edge along the length of the stroke. I try to feel how each lap is going. If I get the sense, for example, that I'm not catching the heel of the blade well then I can amend that. Take your time. Really. Every time I've nicked my strop it has been because I have lost my concentration.

X

As mentioned before slow, smoothly, deliberately, turning the razor over the spine before the end of the stroke. Practice technique first and the speed will come on its own.

I cut up my strop sometimes, too. Sometimes I get ahead of myself just after I flip the razor over to go the other way and the heel moves forward before the entire razor does. That rotates the razor and the toe ends up going the wrong way. I don't worry about it too much because I seem to do it less often than I used to, but it bothers me when I can feel the razor going over the nicks. At that point I take a little sandpaper to it.

Originally Posted by crazycliff200843

... it bothers me when I can feel the razor going over the nicks. At that point I take a little sandpaper to it.

Pumice stone works best in my experience.

X

Had my Illinois for 6 years and I am ashamed of it. You should see the pics.