Thread: Strop seems to be cupping

I'm a newbie, and I have one of those Rup $20 strops (2"). The strop is tied to a towel rack, so I'm stropping up from my waist. When I get to the top of the stroke I've noticed the strop is cupped in such a fashion that the heel and toe of the blade are touching the strop, but the center of the blade is not.

Do I need to keep my strokes more in the middle of the strop -- shorten the stroke? Or, should I get a wider strop? More pressure? Paddle strop? While I like the idea of a wider strop, I don't want to nick it up as a newbie. However, so far so good and only one nick on the strop.

Any ideas?

Try attaching the strop somewhere around waist level and watch how you grip the free end, also be sure you hold it taut, you dont have to pull it out of the wall, just make sure there isnt a lot of slack. Hope this helps.

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

...also be sure you hold it taut, you dont have to pull it out of the wall, just make sure there isnt a lot of slack.

Well, it uses a grommet at the end with a leather tie. I may be pulling too hard and it's buckling at that grommet. I'll lighten up a bit. Thanks.

Later that day: I let up a bit on the strop and applied a "bit" more pressure to the blade. I also shortened my stroke a bit, and that seems to keep the edge of the blade in better contact with the strop.

While I'm still only doing the sides of my face, this was definitely the smoothest shave yet. Thanks again for the help.

I'm just starting to experience the same thing! I noticed recently that when I lay my blade flat against the strop, only certain sections of the blade are making contact with the strop. It seems, for me, that the edges and the very middle are raised a bit more that the rest of it. Recently, I've also been pulling a bit harder on the strop to make it tight, would that cause this warping? Is there anything I can do to make it flat again?

Originally Posted by DanS

...I've also been pulling a bit harder on the strop to make it tight, would that cause this warping? Is there anything I can do to make it flat again?

Pulling too hard was my problem. Everyone said to make the strop tight but use very light pressure with the razor. I think that allows the strop to wrinkle, based on how it's attached to the wall, and not enough pressure with the blade doesn't flatten the strop against the blade.

With so many people ruining their razors by stropping too hard, or incorrectly, I think people like myself were being too light. So, somewhere between a feather touch and causing the strop to wrap around the edge is where you should be.

I lightened up a bit on the pull, and put just enough pressure on the razor to bring the strop up against the blade squarely. It doesn't take too much. You might want to practice with a pencil or comb, or an old razor.

It's still a light pressure, but not a paranoid, I'm scared to death I'm going to harm the razor light.

Got a better edge when I stropped this way, too. I could feel it in the shave.