Thread: comments on stropping technique

Yikes! In the first clip it looks to me like the razor and strop are being ruined.

Way way too much pressure, too stiff, too loud-sounds like sand-paper!

Stropping is a light, gentle action in which only the strop leather is tight. The blade is held very lightly on the leather on which it makes a sound that my wife (who is no fan of my new-found love of SR shaving!) characterizes as "oddly comforting."

Agree with the suggestion above to get the flip right before doing anything else.

Stropping doesn't require a month of training! It's not hard, but does require a couple points of attention. Tight strop, light pressure. My SRD Premium I strop has been used now maybe 200 times. It has 1 nick on it, and the leather is developing a kind of changed color and texture, but not wearing like the one in this clip. And I'm not a super-skilled stropologist, but my razors for the last month have been wicked sharp and creamy smooth.

In the second clip it looks to me like after the flip, the razor moves a bit with the spine off the strop. I try to be very intentional about turning the razor on the spine, keeping the spine on the leather, and making sure that's right before the next light, slickery stroke.