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I just purchased my first straight razor and strop online, oh yeah. I'm looking in my bathroom to see where I can attach the strop. I only place I can see is on a hook at the top of the bathroom door. I would have to strop it from North to South because i'm not 7 feet tall. I would have it so it's completely flat when I use it. Just making sure that's okay to do.
Thanks!
The angle at which you hang your strop is merely a personal choice.It will not affect how the stropping works.If you do hang it off the door it wont take up valuable razor space.
Well, when I first started I had my strop hung at about head height, being in a similar situation as yourself. It didn't work too well. If you think about the motions you make to strop, your arm is going to be in some pretty awkward positions if the strop is too high. Not only is it going to strain your arm, but you'll also have trouble keeping the razor flat and even on the strop. I would recommend you try getting a cord or leather thong and hanging the strop from a nice solid doorknob.
Or, if your curtains have the kind of sash-hook that we have, I've found that's a good height for me.
I find that it is eaiser to strop when the strop is attached to something that is door nob height.
Also I have heard that the bathroom is not the best place to store your strop due to the excessive humidity. I strop in my bedroom and then shave in the bathroom. Just a preference...
I fashioned a loop from an old wire coat hanger and attached it to the middle hinge on my bathroom door to which I hook my strop. perfect height for me.
Those are good suggestions hanging it from a door knob.
Waist high or just a little more, like you would see at a barbers chair. Too high or low and it is a chore to the arms and is more likely to harm the strop and/or blade.
There are individual preferences in usage regarding the angle of the strop. But given your description I think going "North to South" is a recipe for a mangled strop. It's hard enough learning proper strop technique as it is. I'd try to bring the strop angle down to waist level or a little above. One of those big plastic zip ties is another method to attach the strop to a door knob. Go to your local hardware store and see if you can get something to screw into a stud in the wall, to attach your strop. That's what I'd do.
I have mine hanging from an eye screw that i installed into the stud on the wall by my sink just above waist hieght, comfortable arm postition for me.
I use a "Large Single Robe Hook" from Home Depot. It is brass and comes in
different finishes. The package has a #72 in a blue square with 874 849 above. I mounted it to dry wall using screw in 70 lb reinforcements and the supplied brass screws. The hook is like a strop hook but with a bulb end so I use a small key ring for the swivel snap to hook to. I was attaching to a
towel ring but it was starting to bend.
I'm still working on this. I screwed a small coat hook on the bathroom door frame but the metal (?) must have been cheap material as it suddenly broke while stropping, projecting me backwards fortunately without harm to self or razor! At least it must mean I'm pulling the strop tight :).
I use a paddle strop. Its great as I never have this problem domestically or when I travel.
Be careful you do not want to let a large amount of blood damage the blade. I just measured the height at 35" the same as the towel ring. I have more confidence stropping now that the mounting is solid.
I have found the old cable tie A.K.A. zip tie is real good for hanging a strop securely from a door knob. Good height for my stropping too.
Same here!Quote:
Originally Posted by Deryan
I just went downstairs to see if I had any zip ties... I do! I took one upstairs to see if it fit on my doorknob and it does. Know I'm just waiting to get my strop in the mail and i'll put it to the test.
Thanks Everyone
i would go with waist high too, its far easier than a up and down stroping motion. as for the doorknob i wouldnt trust it in my house, knocking is not the swiss way of entering the bathroom and if i got something as sharp as a well honed razor in my hand the last thing i need is surprises. drill a hole and mount that strop near the sink
I've seen many different angles used on this forum. Some I'd be OK with, others I'd have real trouble with.Quote:
Originally Posted by frustratedSRuser
I just use the angle shown in barber manuals. I also based the angle on the approximate height of the strop ring on an old barbers chair. Tends to be about waist or hip height.
frustr...,Quote:
Originally Posted by frustratedSRuser
Try the door knob routine to begin the height experiment. Door knobs are usually placed at the even inch from 36-40 inches above finished floor and it's a reasonable place to start. I have my strop gallery hooks at 42" above my bathroom floor as 42" is typical bar height or the perfect height to rest your elbow with your arm crooked while hoisting a cold one. I just figured that pulling the strop level with the floor would make stropping easier - no uphill, no downhill - and it works for me.
I have a wooden cleat on the wall with a series of heavy gauge brass cup cup hooks as there are more than a few strops in my leather and linen gallery. The cleat is fastened to studs and as such I have no worry of pulling things off the wall while I tug and stroke. So while the strop acquistion disorder is not cured, the symptoms are not debilitating. :tu
good luck, good stropping,