Thread: Stropping Strategies

I saw that video with the barber's floppy strop, which flies in the face of what nearly every long time straight razor user on this forum suggests. I don't know what to do with that video, except pretend I didn't see it.

His is an exaggerated example, for sure, but I don't think that technically he is flying in the face of accepted practice per se. I think if we were able to analyse what is going on with his stropping I would wager reasonable money that his edge is hitting the strop quite nicely, and the slackness is an advanced technique that he has obviously mastered through time. Yes, we encourage a much tauter strop, but that is to help beginners avoid rounding the edge. As you progress with your stropping, whether you notice or not, you will unconsciously adjust the tautness of the strop to achieve the feel you need - I know I do.

James.

That guy who claims he can go a year without honing his razor says he holds his strop pretty tight

all kidding aside, I'm sure you're right. for me, right now, I'm going to try the tight strop method and play with pressure. Maybe I'll get crazy and let my strop go all loosy-goosey later one

I keep imagining that a taut strop with pressure and a looser strop with no pressure could produce a pretty similar effect.

No matter how I strop, unless I let the strop sag, the results are good.

I can also tell you that lots of guys that think there strop is a straight as a 2x4, have really deep deletion going on. Its really hard to see from above.

I think that one thing people seem to forget is WHERE the pressure is applied.

let's refer to the wiki for a very good visual representation:

I usually do 50/50 linen/leather. I prefer horsehide to latigo, as I don't care for too much draw. If I use pressure it is on the spine with the flip keeping the edge light on the strop. I do an X stroke when I strop. I used to do linen and leather after the hone because it seemed I got a higher percentage of positive HHT results when I did. The 1961 barber manual excerpt recommends leather only following the hone and I began to follow that advice with equal results in the HHT and the shave.

I know exactly what you mean!

Off a coticule especially I can tell when an edge is finished on cotton, a bit of pressure early on - very slightly more than featherweight - until the rough feedback disappears into the edge floating smoothly over the cotton, then I do 20 very light laps and onto leather where I sort of get a suction when the razor is done, sort of like the leather cleans the very surface of the bevel and edge. I don't count the laps usually.

regards Alex