Thread: Is this google video a sane way to paddle strop?

We take customer input very seriously at Mario's barber shop. If you feel that the blade is getting dull, dilate your pupils and scream like a girl

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

[...]
I can see a wicked draw getting produced at the end of the video, or atleast it appears that way.
[...]

This is at least the second time I've seen you use the term 'draw'. However, I'm still not sure what exactly you mean by this term. Could you define/explain it further?

Thanks

Redwoood

A feeling of the strop surface and the blade sticking together, like a vaccum seal.

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

A feeling of the strop surface and the blade sticking together, like a vaccum seal.

Well,I am familiar with this definition of the term, but I don't understand how it is something you can see from a video... so I'm not sure if that's what he means


Redwoood

Thats what I mean. Note how the tempo slows and the hand begins leading the razor (as it appears to stick). Since I've stropped like this I know the exact spot that draw should occur. It could also just be my imagination. If I didn't have experience with this though, I wouldn't have noticed.

I'm going to display my ignorance here. Is getting to the point where you develop a draw a good thing? What is happening at that point, from a physical point of view, to the razor edge?

As the bevel surface gets polished and is becoming smoother, it will be more likely to form a vaccum seal with a smooth surface and stick. A polished bevel is your friend

Looking at those videos helps explain all those nicks and marks on an old strop I have. For some reason the person that used it liked the back side of the leather ( compression lines ) so the the front side was like new when I got it.

Glen

Originally Posted by FiReSTaRT

As the bevel surface gets polished and is becoming smoother, it will be more likely to form a vaccum seal with a smooth surface and stick. A polished bevel is your friend

Ah. Makes sense. Is it speed - dependent (might take me several decades to get to the manic fury that is Mr Ham's right hand )

Speed comes with experience and it comes naturally. If you consciously speed up the process, you risk overhoning and/or messing up the edge and/or messing up the strop, in which case speed becomes your enemy. Once you hone the edge properly, it doesn't take too many swipes on the strop to get your blade sharp, so going faster doesn't give you any tangible benefits.