Your Strop Technique

**fccexpert** · 03-11-2010, 04:33 PM

Originally Posted by Alembic

Group,

When you get to the end of your stroke on the strop, do you tend to lift the razor before the flip, or do you flip with the spine still on the strop and reverse direction?

I have seen those that flip with the spine still on the strop and reverse direction, but I have found that I my timing sucks doing that and I nick my strop badly at the end of the pull stroke.

So is that just a matter of experience and practice, or do some of you just lift the razor?

Thanks.

David

Spine in contact at all times. Go slow until you get the timing down.

**Alembic** · 03-11-2010, 05:21 PM

Ok, it seems like the consensus is spine on strop at all times. I have been trying to practice in the air off of the strop, but the nicks are so tiny that I can't really tell if I am doing it correct until I get on the strop.

I think slow is the key for me here until I get the technique down.

Thanks for all of the support and info.

**Doublewood** · 03-11-2010, 07:00 PM

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I keep the spine on the strop at all times. I used to put slight nicks/wear on my strop at the end of the pull stroke at the very edge of the strop closest to my body

I have to admit to the same problem myself. maybe a wider strop would solve it

as I tend to move the razor across the strop to make sure the tip and heel of the blade get stropped.

**nessmuck** · 03-11-2010, 07:36 PM

maybe UNDREAM could make a nice video of how to strop without turning the wrist and other things we could learn, because his video on restos was A++++.

**Bruce** · 03-11-2010, 08:33 PM

FWIW my technique is to raise the edge of the razor up just before I have finished the stroke and with the edge up and spine down on the leather, reverse the direction of the stroke and then rotating the blade, easing the edge back onto the leather while the blade is in motion. So when the direction of the stroke changes, the edge is somewhere between the 3:00 and 9:00 positions.

**Slartibartfast** · 03-11-2010, 08:40 PM

Not UNDREAM, But Bart
YouTube - Stropping a Straight Razor

**honedright** · 03-11-2010, 08:57 PM

Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

Not UNDREAM, But Bart
YouTube - Stropping a Straight Razor

**Slartibartfast** · 03-11-2010, 08:59 PM

hmmmmm????
http://straightrazorpalace.com/video...emo-video.html

You should upload your up to da tube. or is there and I did not notice.

Originally Posted by honedright

That technique looks vaguely familiar....

And those camera shots too...right out of an adult film

**honedright** · 03-11-2010, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by Alembic

Ok, it seems like the consensus is spine on strop at all times. I have been trying to practice in the air off of the strop, but the nicks are so tiny that I can't really tell if I am doing it correct until I get on the strop.

I think slow is the key for me here until I get the technique down.

Thanks for all of the support and info.

Slow is important to start. Speed comes gradually as confidence builds.

Strangely I don't even think about deliberately turning the razor. It seems to just turn by itself. I watch the razor as I'm stropping, and am aware that the razor is turning at the end of each stroke, but I'm not trying to turn the razor. In fact if I did try, I'd probably slice the strop in two.

**Alembic** · 03-11-2010, 09:26 PM

Originally Posted by honedright

Slow is important to start. Speed comes gradually as confidence builds.

Strangely I don't even think about deliberately turning the razor. It seems to just turn by itself. I watch the razor as I'm stropping, and am aware that the razor is turning at the end of each stroke, but I'm not trying to turn the razor. In fact if I did try, I'd probably slice the strop in two.

Just did 80 strokes with a Wade and Butcher. I slowed it down, locked my wrist, watched carefully to lift the edge but not the spine before flipping. Not a single nick in either direction. I will have to use this pace until its locked in muscle memory.

Thanks.

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