Can someone teach this guy how to strop a razor?

I just find it funny that there's all this talk about proper strop technique and you've got a real oldschool pro throwing a lot of it out the window....i guess it goes to show, that like in jazz theory, you've gotta learn the rules before you can break 'em....speaking of which, the music in this clip is great

anyway, this is purely for entertainment purposes, don't mean to ruffle any feathers =)

YouTube - Razor Strop

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Hello, Jdurango:

The old pros eventually find what works best for them.

By the way, the music is Cole Porter's "Begin the Beguine" which Artis Shaw recorded in 1938. Great tune and great version.

Regards,

Obie

Just cause there is an old guy dressed like a barber doing something with a straight razor doesn't mean it's right. Has that guy shaved you or someone you trust? Have you or someone you trust used his razors yourselves? If I told you I was Dr Holli4Pirating and I had a white coat and a stethoscope and a clipboard, would you believe my medical advice.

But, for the record, recent stropping threads from some of the SRP innovators have been talking about playing with "deflection" and "pressure."

Quote:

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Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Just cause there is an old guy dressed like a barber doing something with a straight razor doesn't mean it's right. Has that guy shaved you or someone you trust? Have you or someone you trust used his razors yourselves? If I told you I was Dr Holli4Pirating and I had a white coat and a stethoscope and a clipboard, would you believe my medical advice.

But, for the record, recent stropping threads from some of the SRP innovators have been talking about playing with "deflection" and "pressure."

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That old guy is the head barber at one of the oldest barbershops in Dublin (1929)....so I think it's fair to assume he knows what he's doing. I've seen a lot of discussions here about old pros that strop like this...just thought it was interesting.

And plus he has a white lab coat! I mean...c'mon, it's a WHITE lab coat! =)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Just cause there is an old guy dressed like a barber doing something with a straight razor doesn't mean it's right. Has that guy shaved you or someone you trust? Have you or someone you trust used his razors yourselves? If I told you I was Dr Holli4Pirating and I had a white coat and a stethoscope and a clipboard, would you believe my medical advice.

But, for the record, recent stropping threads from some of the SRP innovators have been talking about playing with "deflection" and "pressure."

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Well doc you see I have this pain...

Like evrything else there are some people who break every rule for doing things yet they get perfect results. If I tried it that way I'd be in big trouble.

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Originally Posted by jdurango

That old guy is the head barber at one of the oldest barbershops in Dublin (1929)....so I think it's fair to assume he knows what he's doing. I've seen a lot of discussions here about old pros that strop like this...just thought it was interesting.

And plus he has a white lab coat! I mean...c'mon, it's a WHITE lab coat! =)

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Ever seen an old and well respected member of a group say or do something totally crazy before? I'd say again, have you been shaved by him, used one of his razors, or do you know anyone you totally trust who has? Maybe his edges are great, maybe they're not. Maybe he used to get great edges before he changed his technique and now they are terrible. Maybe his edges used to be terrible and then he changed his technique and now they are great.

We can sit and speculate all day.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Like evrything else there are some people who break every rule for doing things yet they get perfect results. If I tried it that way I'd be in big trouble.

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Yup, you should see Livi strop. Scary stuff.

We have a member who does, indeed, get shaves from Liam at the Waldorf. Apparently, he also sharpens razors (on a coti, no less) and does it well.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...tml#post460340

So yeah, I think he's doing ok.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JimR

We have a member who does, indeed, get shaves from Liam at the Waldorf. Apparently, he also sharpens razors (on a coti, no less) and does it well.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...tml#post460340

So yeah, I think he's doing ok.

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There's one variable down.

I have found my shaves are smoother and better when my strop is not pulled as taught as suggested by many here. I find that slight deflection, as in that video, is very helpful.

YMMV.

I'm going to try a decent amount of slack next time... just for kicks. I'll tell you how it goes :)

not pulling the Strop completely tight is what did the trick for me
when I had stropping issues. Of course, the leather has to be very smooth and pliable to do this.
I now give the leather (kanayama horse) 1-2cm when stropping.

There is nothing wrong with it, as long as it works.
I never read a *law* on our wiki. I only see rules.
The difference is a rule can be broken and there are circumstance they don´t apply to.

So the rule to pull a a strop tightly is not a law :)

My issue with the OP stropping example is not the slack in the strop, but rather the fact that the guy is definitely lifting the spine as he strops.

I'm a stropping noob and have been following the videos on here.

This guy looks like he is doing it properly - just way faster than what I could.

What was it that appears to be wrong?

- Speed?
- Not keeping the strop tight?
- Lifting the spine?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Just cause there is an old guy dressed like a barber doing something with a straight razor doesn't mean it's right. Has that guy shaved you or someone you trust? Have you or someone you trust used his razors yourselves? If I told you I was Dr Holli4Pirating and I had a white coat and a stethoscope and a clipboard, would you believe my medical advice.

But, for the record, recent stropping threads from some of the SRP innovators have been talking about playing with "deflection" and "pressure."

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I respectfully disagree. This is a professional that has more experience with a straight razor than I may have in my entire life. He's not some fake running around practicing some type of quasi-science in a lab coat he got off E-Bay. Can we think about this? You have a guy that was trained in the day of the straight and has kept the art alive by practicing it for decades. Yep, his method is unorthodox, but since when does that mean that method is "wrong"?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JonnyO

I respectfully disagree. This is a professional that has more experience with a straight razor than I may have in my entire life. He's not some fake running around practicing some type of quasi-science in a lab coat he got off E-Bay. Can we think about this? You have a guy that was trained in the day of the straight and has kept the art alive by practicing it for decades. Yep, his method is unorthodox, but since when does that mean that method is "wrong"?

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You do realize I had no idea who the guy was when I wrote that post, right?

Looks to me like he's demonstrating how not to strop . If this is a demonstration of proper stropping technique , then what is improper technique ?:confused:

I like the way Mr. Finnegan keeps his strop hopping. Quite the flair has he.


:bow:bow

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Originally Posted by dave5225

Looks to me like he's demonstrating how not to strop . If this is a demonstration of proper stropping technique , then what is improper technique ?:confused:

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He's not trying to show people "how to strop", this is a documentary of how he does it. There is a series of videos about the Waldorf barbershop in Dublin, Ireland, showing this barber (Liam is his name, I believe) and his traditional way of doing things. There is also a video of him sharpening a straight on a Coti, using slurry. As has been stated, there are members who have gotten shaves from him and were very happy.

The thing that gets me about this thread is, this is a LEAST the 4th thread I've seen about this particular barber, and people always start with the attitude that he doesn't know what he's doing, because he doesn't do things the way people at SRP do. The inherent assumption, that we all know better than anyone else, is troubling.

Mastro Livi does it differently, Liam does it differently, hell probably 99% of the people who have used a straight razor in all of human history have done it differently.

Doing it differently does NOT equal doing it wrong.

My dear JimR:

You speak words of wisdom. I believe as you do in this.

Regards,

Obie

Guys stropping in white lab coats/barber smocks/straight jackets are usually mentally unstable individuals.

YouTube - Stropping

Especially if they have a white jacket on top, and a towel wrapped around their midsection....


Although I've had a shave from this guy. Usually it's not too bad.


But I never leave the guy a tip!

Hello, Seraphim:

Your stropping video is a class act, as are you. I have watched it many times with admiration. Oh, by the way, the white smock and towel combination are the height of bathroom fashion.

Regards,

Obie

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JimR

He's not trying to show people "how to strop", this is a documentary of how he does it. There is a series of videos about the Waldorf barbershop in Dublin, Ireland, showing this barber (Liam is his name, I believe) and his traditional way of doing things. There is also a video of him sharpening a straight on a Coti, using slurry. As has been stated, there are members who have gotten shaves from him and were very happy.

The thing that gets me about this thread is, this is a LEAST the 4th thread I've seen about this particular barber, and people always start with the attitude that he doesn't know what he's doing, because he doesn't do things the way people at SRP do. The inherent assumption, that we all know better than anyone else, is troubling.

Mastro Livi does it differently, Liam does it differently, hell probably 99% of the people who have used a straight razor in all of human history have done it differently.

Doing it differently does NOT equal doing it wrong.

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Thanks Jim! This was pretty much my exact point! It's funny that you mention the bowler and his "unorthadox" technique. It's the same in music...according to "classical" guitar technique, you're supposed to keep your thumb on the back of the neck and never bring it up over the top like you're gripping a bat. Nonetheless, doing this exact thing is a huge part of many guitar player's techniques, including my own...and a few amateurs you've prolly never heard of like Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Chet Atkins, Jerry Reed.... =)

The point is, one you know the "rules" and why they are in place, you'll know why you should break them =)

That said, I don't have the experience to strop like this guy (Liam). I'm sure it takes decades of practice...and remember, this guy isn't just shaving himself every day, he probably shaves 3-5 customers every day too, which means he's got a lot of experience with a strop and razor.

In other words, DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME KIDS!!!

And by "kids" i mean newbs like me :)

That strop looks very flexible. Maybe his unconventional method works on that strop, but it might not on mine.

I agree he seems to blow a couple of strokes lifting the spine but in the slow mo you can see the spine has good contact deflecting the leather around it and trailing the edge on a flat strop. You could only do that on a verrry soft strop.
His strokes are actually straight tho the strop bends.
This is an old video I've seen a bunch of times but this is the first time I noticed how light his razor hand is. He does close his fist on the return stroke but on the push stroke you can see daylight between his fingers.