Thread: First Time Stropping

Received my strop from Tony today and was quite
pleased. But I swear, I was way more scared at
my first stropping attempt than I was shaving.

I went very slow, leading with the heel. I know the the
spine never lifte during any of the passes but the edge
did lift off slightly a couple of times. I did use light
pressure, only using enough to keep the razor flat.

I did 20 round trips on the linen and 30 on the leather.
I hope I didn't mess the edge up. I would hate to send
it back to Lynn to be honed.

I will find out in the morning. Plan on getting up earlier
than normal to test it out. I can't wait all week. I
swear this is an addiction.


Regards,

Terry

Sounds like you did pretty good. Lynn is usually pretty forgiving of guys who terrorize his bevel work with a yoemans hack job stropping. You may want to strop again a little in the morning. I'll spare you my technique which involves using a little pressure...grown men faint at the sight of me stropping...I think you'll be safe with your process, just remember to go slow and steady. I can feel an unstropped edge on my blade now and even with a light touch I can return to the strop a few times during the shave and get pretty good results. As you practice try and learn to give your blade a stropping that will last a whole shave and not require 50 passes to make it super smooth...review what causes you to lift the edge while stropping, though not damaging it could lead to little nicks in the strop at each end, especially near the handle.

Good luck and shave safe!

Don't worry I am sure you did fine. Enjoy tomorrows shave. A razor honed by Lynn is sharp as can be. He honed a W&B wedge for me that is the sharpest thing in my collection. Notice I said collection it is an addiction. Welcome to razors anonymous .

AF and Rich,

You were both right. The shave went fine.
I just need to read up some more on stropping.
I hope this is one of those cases where practice
makes perfect. Oh. well this gave me an excuse
to shave during a weekday. Practice makes perfect
with shaving as well,

Regards and thanks,


Terry

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

...review what causes you to lift the edge while stropping, though not damaging it could lead to little nicks in the strop at each end, especially near the handle.

I'd suggest you watch you grip closely. EXACTLY where are you thumb and fore finger in relation to each other on the shank? Is it the same in both directions?
Take your time. You need to feel how the razor reacts to the strop. I like a subtle drawing sensation. It feels safe and performs consistently.

X

XMan

My thumb is on top of the shank and my forefinger is
on the bottom, I am also using my middlefing on the bottom
as well. I do this for both directions. I do feel a slight drawing
or what I believe is a drawing.

For some reason while I am quite comfortable shaving the stropping
is kind of scary. Just afraid of damaging the edge of my razor.

Stropped this morning before my shave and a little after. I seemed
to do a little better, I don't believe the edge lifted and I know the
spine didn't.


Many Thanks,
This is a great forum.

Terry

Originally Posted by wvbias

My thumb is on top of the shank and my forefinger is
on the bottom, I am also using my middlefing on the bottom
as well. I do this for both directions. I do feel a slight drawing
or what I believe is a drawing.

Now what relationship do they have with each other? Does the thumb tend to be further in the direction of the spine or edge than the fingers while drawing in one direction than in the other? My grip was quite different from one direction to the next at first and it mad quite a difference to my honing and stropping.

You are more likely, with bad stropping, to ruin your strop before damaging the edge too badly, but it sounds like you are doing well. Well done!

X

Xman,

Yesterday just for practice I stropped 30 times on the leather part
of the strop. As far as my thumb It is slightly closer to the blade
than the forefinger. I did not the middle finger this time. I did apply
a little more pressure than previously. The stropping seemed to go
better.

After stropping I did the hanging hair test. I plucked a hair from my
head and holding it by the tip gently tapped it against the tip. The hair
was cut. I also tested the edge against the inside of my left arm.
The hairs were cut quite easily. I did not test it before the last
stropping, I wish I had. I did not shave this morning though but
will do so in the morning. Should I make a few passes on the strop
berforhand? How about the linen?

Will inform you and the others of the results. I swear this is becoming
an obsession!!!


Regards,


Terry

Originally Posted by wvbias

As far as my thumb It is slightly closer to the blade
than the forefinger. I did not the middle finger this time. I did apply
a little more pressure than previously. The stropping seemed to go
better.

It sounds like you've got the right grip. Don't try to torsion the razor down, just let the grip provide the contact. Keep the blade flat and don't forget the 'x' stropping is also subtle.

Originally Posted by wvbias

Should I make a few passes on the strop
berforhand? How about the linen?

I always do a dozen or more runs on the linen before the leather in preparation for every shave.
That's before every shave! I also leather strop only after my shaves.