Thread: Does the amount of draw mean anything?

Looking around, it seems that the amt of draw on a strop is regarded as more of a personal preference than anything else, but I'm curious if the strops with more draw are actually doing a better job of aligning the blade. In other words, if you have a strop that has alot of draw, will you need to do fewer passes? Are they more efficient, or do they just give more feedback?

More personal preference it seems. Many find having more draw lends greater control to the stropping motion though some feel the sensation of draw hinders proper stropping motion. I do think in the end, whether high or low draw just about any strop with a really noce surface will do the same job, high or low draw.

On an interesting note I was mailing packages on Friday and the older clerk at the post office noticed "razor strop" written on the customs form. He mentioned that his father was a barber and he still remembered his father stropping razors and the unique "popping" sound they made at the end of each stroke when he lifted, and then slapped the razor back down. I asked him about his Dad and he said he had passed in 1973. That is a long time to still remember that sound.

Tony

Nice story Tony.

It's ironic how many folks on the forums today would equate that to an improper stropping technique while every professional barber I've ever seen strop a razor does exactly that; lift and slap at the end of each stroke.

Originally Posted by B R A N D X

Nice story Tony.

It's ironic how many folks on the forums today would equate that to an improper stropping technique while every professional barber I've ever seen strop a razor does exactly that; lift and slap at the end of each stroke.

...Yep! +1

Yup! If you watch the video of Maestro Livi honing and stropping, he's really slapping that razor down. The man clearly doesn't know what he's doing and needs to do more reading in this forum so that we can help him improve his edges!

I have often thought about this myself. I remember being in barber shops in the 50's and observing barbers strop their razors.

They would lift at the end of each stroke and slap the strop with the razor.

Some of them appeared to be attacking the stop.

I have also observed some barbers who were preparing their razor to give a shave stop very slowly with a very light touch.

?

Tony, I also recall hearing that 'popping' sound from my youth and the local barber. Showbiz! Impressed me, and that was around 1960.

I think the amount of draw makes a difference, but I'm still new at this! =)
I've got a TM latigo/horsehide and I think it does a much better job than if I just had one latigo or one horsehide strop.

the masters of honing and stropping like maestro livi can do whatever they want to and put an edge that is superior in every way to us new guys, helps to know the tricks of the trade dont it