Thread: Two hand stropping

I've been a bit concerned with my stropping.

My first forward stroke has been fine...gentle pressure, no more than the weight of the blade. My back stroke has been giving me the trouble, I just can's seem to keep the spine/edge in contact with the leather. Spine all the way while I draw it towards me.

I've corrected this by laying the strop on the counter and stropping with my right hand, but taking two fingers on my left and - with little to no pressure - pressing the blade so it makes even contact with the leather. This seems to have helped.

Just wondering if there's anything horribly wrong with this technique that I'm missing...keeping in mind that I'm only using enough pressure to make spine/blade contact with no additional weight. Does this sound like a solution?

Thanks!

Mike

Well I ain't them stropping gurus, but seems you need to rehearse on your technique in theory and practice. Start with a slow turn and a bit faster draw to get the muscle memory going. Also pay attention to your grip (flip with fingers, not with your wrist)

Check the wiki and associated files (ie, the barber manual pdf) that are available.

Do note you are putting your left hand on harms way if you build any speed on that. Also, I've heard there was some talk about slow stropping being being ineffectual.

I usual have my strop pretty level to decrease the effect of speed to pressure, but YMMV. You could actually try fix the strop a little lower, so you draw the razor a bit "uphill".

MWS,

I am currently in the stropping doldrums myself, with exactly the same problem as you have !!

The away stroke is OK; on the back stroke I cannot keep the edge on the strop - the spine is fine.

For the first ten (10) months of stropping, all was well; the last two months it has got progressively worse.

From some fiddling about, I think it is the position of the fingers on the tang on the reverse stroke that is causing the trouble.

On the away stroke, my thumb and forefinger were on the jimped edges of the tang; on the reverse stroke the thumb and forefinger ended up on the sides of the tang.

I have done some practise to make sure that the thumb and forefinger end up on the jimped bits of the tang on both strokes, and it looks like this is the solution

Could you please have a try and see if this improves your lot ?

Many thanks !

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

I think you are better off learning proper stropping technique. Even if it takes you more time initially, it will save you tons of time in the future, and not needing a flat surface to lay the strop on makes things much more convenient too.

+1 on Dylan's advice.

Soudns like it is a techique issue. Are you keeping the strap taught, and pulling it towards you with enough pressure? Ideally, you should be able to keep the strap at near waist height. My bathroom door handle works great for this.

Take it slow, dont try to go too fast

I agree it's better to learn the proper way. Personally, I think for most things we do in straight shaving you can modify and adapt things for yourself however, when it comes to stropping I feel it should be done by the book. If need be practice with a butterknife until you can keep the edge on the strop. Adjust the height of the strop and the angle it is at and play with different stropping speeds.

Using two hands for stropping is just inviting damaging your razor. It doesn't take much pressure to damage the edge.

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Please learn proper stropping technique. It will be better for you in the long run.

SRP Wiki: Stropping a Razor

Stropping= Very Very Important

Stropping is King

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I agree it's better to learn the proper way. Personally, I think for most things we do in straight shaving you can modify and adapt things for yourself however, when it comes to stropping I feel it should be done by the book. If need be practice with a butterknife until you can keep the edge on the strop. Adjust the height of the strop and the angle it is at and play with different stropping speeds.

Using two hands for stropping is just inviting damaging your razor. It doesn't take much pressure to damage the edge.

I agree! Stropping is maybe the most difficult, yet one of the most important things to learn in our craft. Improper stropping is the culprit of most newbees ruining the edge. - and, you will never be sucessful with your shaves until it is learned(not learnt!). I see you are new at this, and it could be as long as four months before you learn the proper way to strop. When this happens, you will know, and from there you will grow in leaps and bounds as a straight razor shaver.

You know how to get to Carnegie Hall...........

Good luck,

Steve

Thanks for all the replies...I'm four shaves it, second shave was the worst, and I attribute it to stropping. I've continued to work at it, and although still not perfect, the single handed "proper" technique is really coming together.

Best to learn it correctly at the beginning.