Thread: Stropping technique

After half a year of daily straight shaving and after having succesfully honed about 30 razors, I come to the conclusion, that stropping is the most complicated thing of straight razor shaving.

I am stil experimenting with stropping. In the beginning I pulled my strop as taut as it can get and stropped the blade with a careful touch to the leather. Well, it works, but you can't get the maximum out of a properly honed blade that way. Seraphim's video helped me a lot. His strop is not extremely taut, but it isn't loose either. According to my experience, the strop should be held taut, but only just enough to be parallel to the floor. During stropping there should be a little sag. You can then still strop the razor flat to the leather's surface, but that little bit of give enables the leather to reach the bevel, so it can re-align the edge.

Super-light touch, as I did for a long time is not enough. There should be a noticeable draw, you must here a stropping sound. The last days, I stopped my razors less carefully, not with brutal force, but with much more give in the strop and mor draw. They all gained incredebly in sharpness.

I will continue this way, and see what happens. Of course there's always a certain risk of dulling an edge, but I am able to re-hone the blade then. If possible, I would recommend beginners, to practice with a dull blade, just to gett the right feel, just to see what has to be done, to achieve that special "stropping sound"

The problem is not every razor makes that sound and not every leather provides draw as you strop. Horse does not. Its just a matter of being reasonable about it. I keep my strop so that there is probably a inch or so of deflection as you strop and use just enough pressure to get the job done. No more and no less. How much is that? Its all experience and very hard to explain.

Originally Posted by Moleman

After half a year of daily straight shaving and after having succesfully honed about 30 razors, I come to the conclusion, that stropping is the most complicated thing of straight razor shaving.

I am stil experimenting with stropping. In the beginning I pulled my strop as taut as it can get and stropped the blade with a careful touch to the leather. Well, it works, but you can't get the maximum out of a properly honed blade that way. Seraphim's video helped me a lot. His strop is not extremely taut, but it isn't loose either. According to my experience, the strop should be held taut, but only just enough to be parallel to the floor. During stropping there should be a little sag. You can then still strop the razor flat to the leather's surface, but that little bit of give enables the leather to reach the bevel, so it can re-align the edge.

Super-light touch, as I did for a long time is not enough. There should be a noticeable draw, you must here a stropping sound. The last days, I stopped my razors less carefully, not with brutal force, but with much more give in the strop and mor draw. They all gained incredebly in sharpness.

I will continue this way, and see what happens. Of course there's always a certain risk of dulling an edge, but I am able to re-hone the blade then. If possible, I would recommend beginners, to practice with a dull blade, just to gett the right feel, just to see what has to be done, to achieve that special "stropping sound"

Well, for the love of God, there are finally 2 of us that think the same way.

This is a good thread.

I can only add that whatever you do you simply have to repeat it, consistently from that day forward with that razor. Its true that too much sag will dull the edge. Too much tautness and I sometimes find the stropping ineffective. With my strop if its really taut the strops imperfections and lack of flatness become highlighted. Its almost as if you suddenly need to lap/flatten your strop as well as your hone.

Although I often find that after I shape a blade with a little sag I can strop with a super taut strop I have always been nagged about the historical documentation that indicates that the hanging strop was created in response to the full hollow razor, nullifying the paddle strops usefulness. This is a big clue, I think, in the theory that there is more to stropping a full hollow then just a board flat strop.

You guys have officially blown my mind. I have seen so many things in this thread that im going to have to try in regards to stropping. Im still so new to this that im not even sure if my stropping technique is right at this point.

I must be doing something right though because im not butchering my face, or having and razor burn issues. And my shaves are getting progressively closer and closer

Originally Posted by shorynot

I must be doing something right though because im not butchering my face, or having and razor burn issues. And my shaves are getting progressively closer and closer

I feel the same way. I am trying to keep a taught strop but now there are some suggestions in this thread that may challenge this notion. So far my razor's sharpness has not declined as all so I do feel like shorynot does. "I must not be screwing things up.... 'cause I am not messing up my face." Or dulling my edge.

So what is the advice for the new guys that may not realize which way is better ?

In the post by the fellow from Munich... Forgot his name... he mentions that you should have enough pressure to get draw and get the stropping sound.


So is this stropping sound a scratching sound. I have noticed this same thing. It actually has to do with two things the amount of pressure I apply to the tang with my thumb and the angle of the entire blade relative to the edge of the strop. If my blade is perpendicular to the edge of the strop I get a "Smooth" sound but if I angle my blade I get a scratching sound...

Is this light scratching sound correct?

Originally Posted by shorynot

I must be doing something right though because im not butchering my face, or having and razor burn issues. And my shaves are getting progressively closer and closer

You are totally right! I think, learning to hone and tp strop a razor might be
a lifelong task. There are probabbly hundreds of ways doing it. Of course, there are certain rules, e.g. "don't lift the spine". The stropping technique surely depends on size an ground of a blade. I experienced, that light touch, no give at all works properly for 4/8" full hollow razors, my #14 Filarmonica or 8/8" W&B definitely need some give. Without give, the strop does not touch the edge properly, it won't ruin the razor, but the shaves tend to be a little harsh and less close.

At the moment, I am convinced that a more or less powerful drawing motion is the key to success. Moving the razot carefully with almost no blade contact and at a low speed over the strop is just not enough to re-align the edge.

Keep experimenting, guys! Maybe everyone has to find his own special technique. If a super taut strop, that won't bend at all during blade contact, works for somebody, it's ok. Like honing, there are probably millions of ways doing it.