Thread: Stropping for dummies: Help

I spent my day honing, stropping, and shaving. Great day btw. I was able to "push" my blades into a more fragile edge. I think they are slightly more sharp as well. I can see now how some of you use a really gentle touch and how that would be needed. I'm not sure but I think that the path I was taking to sharpness involved a more blunt tip. Usually stropped with .5 paste on a solid bevel. I was able, using a dry barber hone, to push the edge a few strokes at a time into what I think you guys may be using. This edge shaves well but feels very fragile on the strop. It drags instantly without any pressure at all. I'm thinking this will require a whole new level of strop conformity and flatness, and a new habit of stropping very, very lightly. Scary, but I'll try it for a while. With an edge formed like this I can see ya'alls perspective much clearer.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

. . . a more fragile edge. . .

That's a very interesting term and quite appropriate. I think the finest edge is the most fragile. It seems logical that this is the reason why any pressure used during honing is applied at the beginning. I would say obtaining a fragile edge is desired for the closest shave (Damascus aside).

Thanks to everyone with the advice about stroping technique. It is always great to find that you have understood corectly.

My strop currently is hanging from a towel bar using a plastic loop that used to hold the shower curtain up. Only problem is that it keeps opening in the middle of the strop, but I am working on that.

Try a zip tie! I use a radiator hose clamp on the door handle.

RT