Thread: 10 strokes one direction, 10 strokes back, repeat 6 times

I was trying to strop a blade and just couldn't get good contact on the "backstroke". so I just did repeated back strokes till I got the contact right and rhythm right. then I just di 10 forehands to keep it even. And then did it over and over until say 60 total back and forth, and did a handful of back and forths just to be anal. Seems to work pretty well, partic for those like me with a better stropping forehand than backhand. I didn't have any issue nipping the leather as I swung back.

Anyone else ever experiment with this? (not doing the traditional back and forth laps, but 10 strokes in one direction and then 10 strokes in the other direction.)

Personally,I need to do the back and forth.I would be concerned that I might lift the spine up too soon and ruin my edge.I need to roll it on the spine to feel that I've got it right.

Originally Posted by loueedacat

Anyone else ever experiment with this? (not doing the traditional back and forth laps, but 10 strokes in one direction and then 10 strokes in the other direction.)

Sounds like a good way to slice a strop - all it takes is a moment's inattention to apply one direction's flipping motion while you're doing your ten laps the other way, and you've suddenly got two short strops.

I'm finding it really useful for two things:

1. a tiny thin helje mk 31 5/8 (if that). If I do the flip back and forth thing, I lose my grip on the little bugger and roll the edge. Whereas I can get a decent grip and do ten swipes one way and then the other, being light but set in my mostion.

2. my huge W&B wedges. opposite reason - so big, easy to get a good stroke going 10 in the same direction, keeping it at exactly the right grip and right plane. Then 10 the reverse. And avoids the "this is so thick the edge isn't getting any suction" problem. ditto on a dorko that is hollow but has a mongo spine that suddenly hollows half way down - going the same direction makes it easier for me to find the edge and get the suction draw thing going.

Normal 11/16 hollows, just as easy going back and forth for me.

For whatever reason, haven't even come close to clipping the strop. Just a natural motion for me - swoop/lift/carry back; swoop/lift/carry back.

Originally Posted by mparker762

Sounds like a good way to slice a strop

One way to look at this is it's just the "professional stroke" with a hone that the barber's manual recommends to avoid a frown long term, but it's heel leading rather than edge leading so it's safer than the professional stroke. If you roll the edge up (as if you were going to flip it) and then lift, there is really no more than usual risk of slicing the strop.

I actually find doing the same stroke 10 times in a row keeps me more focused than flipping it back and forth, but as we've all learned, the odds of slicing the strop go down pretty quickly no matter what you do if (a) you pay attention and (b) develop some muscle memory.

Originally Posted by loueedacat

One way to look at this is it's just the "professional stroke" with a hone that the barber's manual recommends to avoid a frown long term, but it's heel leading rather than edge leading so it's safer than the professional stroke. If you roll the edge up (as if you were going to flip it) and then lift, there is really no more than usual risk of slicing the strop.

Unless, on the second stroke after reversing direction, you absentmindedly let your muscle memory flip it the same way you did on the previous ten strokes, digging it into your strop. I think with this sort of stropping pattern that muscle memory actually increases the risk to your strop, because the stronger the muscle memory the more likely it is to carry over between sets. With the conventional stropping scheme it is slower to learn because it's a longer pattern, but it's the exact same pattern so once your muscles have it down you're safe. With your scheme you have two different patterns and you have to mentally switch between them, and it's that switch where I think the risk lies.

[QUOTE=mparker762;461005]Unless, on the second stroke after reversing direction, you absentmindedly let your muscle memory flip it the same way you did on the previous ten strokes, digging it into your strop. QUOTE]

but why would you do that?

all I can tell you is I haven't come close to scratching the strop, and I'm not particularly skilled nor particularly attentive. and I've never heard anyone raise issues with the professional honing stroke, even though it's exactly the same twist on normal honing muscle memory and actually a great deal more scary because you are edge leading on a stone.

anyway, different strokes for different folks [how's that for punny], but I'd try this before hypothetically eliminating it as a bad idea. It's really just not that hard, and it works for me and might be useful to others if constant flipping is a nuisance to their carpal tunnels or they have blades that give them fits on flipping.

Honestly, if you were anal retentive about this and always put the spine down first, lifted the edge first at the end, etc, it would work. However its probably a lot faster, safer and easier in the long run to just flip on the strop/learn to flip on the strop.