Thread: How many strokes?

Sham and Alan's stropping videos also demonstrate this technique very well.

It's usually 50 linen then 100 leather for me before a shave.

Then it's 25 and 50 after.

No reason why. I just like the half numbers lol.

30-35 strokes to a long leather strop before, and 10 strokes after every shave for me.

Really depends on the razor & how recently its been honed. I think I rarely strop any 2 razors the same amount of strokes but I guess from 5 - 50 approx would be the range.

My strop is a blonde leather called "Big Daddy" 3" wide. It has a white felt 2nd piece 3" "Bid Daddy" Leather Strop
I usually hit it first with about 10 up-down and then go to the leather. Now, I'm not sure exactly what the felt does. Can anyone explain? Is it before or after a leather stropping?

Also I had an idea. Since leather has a grain, and I noticed that when I pull down on the strop it feels different than when I go up on the strop, what if you had a dual leather strop? Put one piece on the one side with the grain going one way, and on the back piece put it so that the grain goes the other say. Do, say 15-20 with the one side and then flip over and do 15-20 on the other leather that has a different pull to the blade. Would it be beneficial, or am I just fishing?

I feel I've been "under stropping"... I do about 15 on the linen and 10 on the leather before the shave, and 15 or 20 on the linen after.

Gibbs,

How's the big daddy working out? I've been thinking about it for a while and I don't seem to be able to bring myself to pick one up.

Originally Posted by Snake

I feel I've been "under stropping"... I do about 15 on the linen and 10 on the leather before the shave, and 15 or 20 on the linen after.
.

You're only under stropping if the shave is poor. your process may be perfectly adequate.

Originally Posted by Snake

I feel I've been "under stropping"... I do about 15 on the linen and 10 on the leather before the shave, and 15 or 20 on the linen after.

Gibbs,

How's the big daddy working out? I've been thinking about it for a while and I don't seem to be able to bring myself to pick one up.

You may be about right. Are the shaves smooth? Stropping is not sharpening, it's "refining" the definition of the edge. If you need sharper, you need to go back to the hones. The hones make the razor cut, the strop makes the razor feel better on your face by getting everything even.

I love the Big Daddy! The leather is beefy, not paper thin, the quality of the vegetable tan is excellent. The felt strop is...well... felt strop about 1/8" thick, along with the good tanned leather. Here's the thing of it. If I could buy another piece of leather I could easily take the old one off, lay it on top of a new piece of leather as a pattern, use a leather punch I have and put the new piece back together with those Chicago screws. It swivels around nice. The Big Daddy Strop is just one of the most underrated strops out there I feel.

I just thought it might be intersesting to see how another piece of leather would work with the grain going in the opposite direction but put on the other side in place of the felt.

And the felt does what???

Originally Posted by Gibbs

I just thought it might be intersesting to see how another piece of leather would work with the grain going in the opposite direction but put on the other side in place of the felt.

And the felt does what???

All vintage strops were made with the grain running one way. IIRC the grain lies flat on the return stroke. I don't know the reasoning but I don't think you can make a better mousetrap by reversing it.

The felt "strops" the blade NO seriously Take a fresh honed razor & do an arm hair test then strop 4-5 times on felt & notice if its smoother. There is almost as much controversy on fabric stropping as there is on taping razors so I'll just let you form your own opinion.