Body vs Stropping

[jplamarre]

Hi everybody,

I want to share an experience with you that i just had 10 min. ago while stropping my razors. I think i just found out why my stropping technique couldnt keep my razors sharp... i feel its all about the way i breath and relax my body while stropping.

Usually when i strop, i dont feel any drag. Even worst, i hear some bad scratching noise once in a while. Whatever concentration, speed, technique i put into it, it just doesnt feel good on the strop, neither on my face.

But last stropping, i took time to feel how i was myself, how were my muscle, tensed or relaxed. I realize i was completely stiff from hands, to shoulders, to abdomen. My martial art background tells me thats to have better control and speed, one must be relaxed. It also tells me thats relaxing starts by breathing correctly. So i applied a nice rythmic breathing by the nose filling up only my belly (cause breathing in the chest makes you wind up) and magic appeared suddenly! As soon as the tension was released in my abdomen i could felt drag from the strop and consistent technique, speed and sound. I had to focus alot on relaxing my abdomen throught breathing again because i conditonned myself through training to be stiff all the time it so it feels natural for me. By having to try and retry to relax, i clearly realized that it makes the difference.

I'm very enthousiast now to go do a shave test with these razors since i got this amazing feeling on the strop. I wonder if any of you had similar issues with the way their body is used while stropping ?

JP