Thread: Do you find some razors harder to strop than others?

As I was stropping before my shave last night I realized that I could strop some razors way better and faster than others..

just thought I would put the question out there.

Cheers,

JF

Yes I guess that I have noticed a bit of a difference in some. I have a couple of customs that were made with the tang a bit short and if the scales are too close it cramps my style a bit.

I like my scales to be nice and snug with the blade in the open (straight out) position. If they are not it will cause me to have to re-grip the razor in the midst of stropping. The width of the tang can be an issue as well. There is too thin, too thick and then there is just right. I haven't found one I can't adapt to though and get the job done.

My Begall is easier to strop than my Dovo. I think it is because my fingers gradually slide towards the blade on my Dovo. And my bengall is a wider blade, so it is far easier to turn the razor at the top and bottom of the strop. Also the scales on the Bengall are thinner, which I think makes a lot of difference.

Yes. I can't strop the thicker razors as fluidly as the smaller 5/8 and 6/8 sizes, and because of this I can't get the big razors as sharp off the strop unless I really concentrate. I believe this is the real reason I strongly prefer smaller razors.

Originally Posted by mparker762

Yes. I can't strop the thicker razors as fluidly as the smaller 5/8 and 6/8 sizes, and because of this I can't get the big razors as sharp off the strop unless I really concentrate. I believe this is the real reason I strongly prefer smaller razors.

I'm exactly the same way. I can strop my 5/8 Dovo special almost like a real barber! heh
However I can't do the same thing with a custom razor that I have...the blade is longer and heavier..

Originally Posted by Dups

I'm exactly the same way. I can strop my 5/8 Dovo special almost like a real barber! heh
However I can't do the same thing with a custom razor that I have...the blade is longer and heavier..

Interesting, I am the exact opposite. Any 5/6 or 6/8 razor (with the exception of wedges) razor I have is a little more difficult to hone thatn a 7/8, 8/8 or 9/8....the wedgier the better. I find the weight of the blade gives me more feedback on the bigger blades.

I find those with a straight tang easy. Anything with a thumbnotch is slightly more awkward, which is a pain, as i love the look. The DePews, with it's curved tang is the worst, but i put up with that!

Originally Posted by ben.mid

I find those with a straight tang easy. Anything with a thumbnotch is slightly more awkward, which is a pain, as i love the look. The DePews, with it's curved tang is the worst, but i put up with that!

Same here, anything with a thumb notch or goose neck means I have to slow down and re-adjust my grip more often.

Jordan

Great thread !!!!
Yes absolutely, not only tang design but also scales themselves can change the ease of stropping...
When I started making scales I was trying a ton of different designs out, and realized again that if you just look at how some of the vintage razors were made, they had things figured out pretty well...
If you do the curvy tang ends you have to be careful of how you design them because if you turn the point or curve the wrong way it interferes with stropping...
Certain tang designs do the same thing, they don't lend themselves to an easy flip...
TI's jump into my brain as an example they sometimes have this big thick unwieldy tang that doesn't roll that easy...
Too small a tang can do that same thing...some of the older American razors come to mind for having small thin tangs that are hard to roll..

Oh and the worst of all, are those bulged tangs that are slightly rounded, god I hate those...

The one thing that does seems to help on all of them is getting used to putting yer thumb on the corner of the tang when yer stropping... at least for me it does...

One thing that I discovered just yesterday is that I do better rolling the razor if I have the tang resting between the joints of my knuckles. I used to let the tang fall where the first joint of my forefinger folds.

Yesterday for some unknown but fortuitous reason I ended up laying the tang in between the first and second joint and found it much easier to roll without turning the wrist. I just went in and tried it again the old way and the new way on three different sized tangs and with the 'new' way I was clicking on 8. YMMV.

First photo shows the old way and the second the new improved.