Thread: why hang a strop?

The real benefit that I see in hanging strops is that there is no hard surface on the other side of the leather to bang the razor's edge against. A hanging strop, pulled taught, still provides a 'flat' surface, but has a little give to prevent damage to the edge.

I have a paddle strop and it works fine, but I do need to be more careful when I use it.

X

Probably convenience and lack of space started it. Think of your barber shop not too much counter room to lay a piece of leather out.

Originally Posted by RichZ

Probably convenience and lack of space started it. Think of your barber shop not too much counter room to lay a piece of leather out.

The other thing with the counter top leather is that it can ripple up behind the blade and could ruin the edge.

X

Actually the reason to hang a strop is the same as why we do many things that we all do. Its the way it has always been done or its the way we were taught.

Barbers did it because, well its right convenient to where they are working and it looks cool doing it like going to a japanese restaurant and getting the cook prepare the meal at your table.

I got Tony's strop today and it is a beauty! but I must say their is a learning curve to it. I found the flat piece of leather much easier to deal with, it was like honing only spine first.
But by golie, it does look a lot cooler to strop with a nice hanging strop so I am going to master it, or break blades trying!

Hanging strops work great for a good reason. They "flex". In order for a paddle strop to work properly, it has to "flex", too, and that's why the best paddle strops are flexible in the middle and have a thick layer of felt under them. The reason this "flex" is desireable is because it polishes a micro-bevel onto the blade. It's honed at one angle and the strop actually generates a new bevel angle for a very, very small bevel, which makes the edge stronger and more durable. You don't need a microbevel. Laying a strop flat on a table will still work, but the edge won't last as long, in my opinion.

We definitely wouldn't want to hone in a 2nd bevel because it would remove too much steel and make re-honing a real bear to do each time, so what's worked for centuries has been to create a straight bevel with the hone and then use the hanging strop to get it shaving sharp by wearing/polishing in a secondary bevel at the very edge. The longer you shave with it and the more you strop it, the more durable it becomes until it becomes too obtuse and blunt to shave any more. Then it's ready for rehoning.

That's my take on it, anyway.

Feather blades from Japan actually have three bevel angles visible under very high magnification and all in a blade that's about as thin as a baby's hair.

huh, never heard of the secondary or micro bevel, sounds interesting and makes sense.

still havin greal trouble getting a good stropping job with the haangin gstrop though

The freedom of whatever angle you are comfortable at stropping makes a hanging strop work at it's best.

Glen