Thread: Stupid mistake

Nathan

Here is my personal opinion about the proper way to turn the razor on the strop.

Two barbers back in the 1960's told me that I should strop with my thumb on top of the tang. And some wrist turning is OK.

They also told me that if I wrap my little finger and my ring finger lightly around the handle, it would help me turn [manipulate] the razor with very little wrist turning. Those two fingers on the handle give me more control when changing direction on the strop. It works quite well for me all these years.

Also you must keep the spine in contact with the strop at all times and practice stropping in slow motion until you feel confident with your stropping method. Strop slow enough so you can actually see the edge flipping at the correct moment.

I just thought I would tell you what the barbers told me.

Examine this thought. On each stroke you are making a 180 degree change of direction. Do not start this change of direction until you have lifted the cutting edge off of the strop and do not let the edge touch the strop until you have fully changed direction.

You must come to a complete stop before you can change direction. During this momentary "stop", the razor edge should not be touching the strop. The edge only goes back on the strop when the directional change is completed and your hand and razor edge is moving in the correct direction.

Practice all of the above in absolute slow motion and try to see and feel the edge come off the strop at the right moment and go back on the strop at the right moment.

Focus on keeping the razor flat on the strop just as if you were on a stone hone.

The edge only belongs on the strop when it is moving in the right direction.

Again, do all this in SLOW MOTION until you can feel the correct stropping stroke. I always take a deep breath first and always start with the "toward me" stroke.

Stropping is a matter of precise timing just like a musician counting time while playing an instrument. You need to be your own personal judge and you need to be tough on yourself.

S L O W M O T I O N and counting are the keys to developing a successful stropping stroke. There is no reason to nick a strop if you have a rythmic system and you are properly focused.

Good luck.............Jerry

Don't worry. When I get my new SRD strop, even thought I consider myself to be a competant stropper, I will be doing quite a few slow motion laps.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

It's a mystery. With a good result it sounds like. I think that, given the circumstances, it just happens when our minds are not really engaged.

Last year, as I was driving, I was thinking about all the stupid people driving around me like crazy who couldn't drive. I barely made it through an intersection without hitting all the crazy people around me.

In deep thought on the subject I subsequently drove into the curb while turning. I flattened my tire and jammed the rim into the axle so hard I needed a hammer to bang it off.

No more deep thoughts for me.

Last year I was driving along an inconsiderate jerk who was texting while driving. I was giving her the stink eye, trying to attract her attention so she could see my disgust at her dangerous habit. I was looking at her for so long I nearly rammed the bumper of the car in front of me who had come to a complete stop.

That was a bloody leather destructor. "Of course not proud, but a fact. There may be dozens, I made a terrible error. I posted a thread similar to Lawsonstone Pride / reward on the Holocaust from the tip of one ear.

I think the overconfidence posts may have it write on the money. When you are overconfident you really start to think you cant lose. I played a sport professionally for just a couple of year but thought I was the man. I agreed to play an exhibition game for a local field and ended up getting SPANKED by a bunch of kids. I was overconfident.. I try not to do that anymore. Now I am paranoid as all h*ll. I am not real proficient with stropping and I go super slow.. that is the only thing that I think has kept me from cutting mine to ribbons

Since I got my first strop in 1973, I have managed to nick or scrape up every strop I have ever owned. Actually ruined a couple along the way. I am currently testing a couple of new leathers and have already nicked up both of them. You guys need to cut yourselves some slack. I really think speed, either too fast or too slow along with that lapse in concentration are the worst enemies.

Have fun,

Lynn

Originally Posted by mrsell63

_______________________________
____________________________________
With all the strop nicks being reported, it would seem that many members could benefit from employing the principles of the rythmic count.

It works for Yo Yo Ma and Ogershok and it works me. Perhaps I will take a photo of my nickfree strops to prove the point. Please give it a try. Your strop will definitely thank you.............

_____________________________________
_________________________________________________

What an amazing forum. I just found out that I can quote myself when entering a post. Fantastic.

Anyone who would like to discuss the rythmic counting method of stropping can PM me about it.

The idea is that by counting like a musician playing an instrument, your brain will tell your hand to stop the stroke the instant it realizes that your stroke is out of sync with your count. Your hand will stop dead in its tracks before the nick occurs. This will work particularly well for anyone who is familiar with the principles of self-hypnosis.

I started stropping in 1968 and have not nicked a strop since 1971 period. Let me know if I can help.................

Guys you really should take jerry up on his offer to teach you his stroping style,It truly workes, he told me his method back when i first started and i have not ever nicked my strop. So if anyone on this fourm could give a f good pointers on the best way to keep a rythemic stroping motion it would be Mr. Sell.

O K Let's beat this one to death.
_________________________________

QUOTE>>>>The idea is that by counting like a musician playing an instrument, your brain will tell your hand to stop the stroke the instant it realizes that your stroke is out of sync with your count. Your hand will stop dead in its tracks before the nick occurs. This will work particularly well for anyone who is familiar with the principles of self-hypnosis.
__________________________________________________

Below are several analogies to help us understand the problems and/or vagaries of stropping your razors without nicking your strop. Some people might doubt that nick-free stropping is possible. To that, I say B.S.

Analogies:
The first thing you learn when going to welding school is that you need to get in a comfortable position in order to make a uniform weld. Get comfortable mentally and physically before you begin stropping.

Nicking a strop is similar to smoking cigarettes. If you want to quit doing it, you must totally want to quit or it ain't gonna happen.

As far as self-hypnosis is concerned, consider the thoughts that a high jumper has just prior to his attempt at jumping over the bar. If he believes he can make it over the bar, it raises the odds that he will. However, if he has doubts, the odds are that he won't make it over the bar most of the time.

Think about how positive Jack Nicklaus was every time he stood over a putt. He totally believed he was going to make every putt. You must totally believe that your stropping stroke will be nick free.

Your belief system and your positive attitude are determining factors regarding success in anything you do. You merely have to decide that nicking your strop(s) is nolonger an option.

It is classic "mind over matter" and the rest is up to you and your level of determination. Strop slow enough so that your hand has time to stop the stroke before the nick occurs. And totally focus on the task at hand.....

You might also give consideration to the fact that if you are focusing hard enough on keeping your strop taut enough and your stroke pressure light enough, you won't be using so much force in your stroke that it will become impossible to stop your stropping stroke before you nick your strop.

I'll say no more, believe it or not...!!! .









Edit: I tried to include a photo of some of my strops but it didn't take...

Originally Posted by Lynn

Since I got my first strop in 1973, I have managed to nick or scrape up every strop I have ever owned. Actually ruined a couple along the way. I am currently testing a couple of new leathers and have already nicked up both of them. You guys need to cut yourselves some slack. I really think speed, either too fast or too slow along with that lapse in concentration are the worst enemies.

Have fun,

Lynn

Let you guys in on a secret. None of us are perfect at anything we do. Just thought you should know. Relax and enjoy and if you nick a strop here and there, oh well, they still make em and it gives you an excuse to get a new one. Hey, I think I'll go in and trash a strop! Been wanting one of those SRD English Bridal strops!