Thread: Stropping Strategies

I have a few strategies I follow when stropping, just thought I'd share and see if anyone else does anything similar.

1) The perfect honed razor/WTG shave strokes:

Taut strop, light pressure, almost "dainty" strokes, about 10 passes.

2) The 'Against the Grain" Attack blade

Taut strop with pressure applied to the stropping, about 20 passes, followed by 10 passes using light pressure (usually there are a few intermediate passes using reduced pressure.

This is probably my overall best edge, but it's not always needed. This techniques seems to build draw on the edge. The technique produces an ATG edge that moves effortlessly through heavy whisker.

3) The fresh off the hone edge

Strop held lightly between two fingers allowing deflection, light strokes over the strop. The strop should only deflect a little. 20 passes. This technique seems to work best for "taming" an edge that is a little on the rough side.

I would say that I'm not that married to the idea that each strategy is tied directly to each problem. Just as likely if one thing fails I prefer to get a little more creative on the strop and try another technique before I rehone.

Does anyone else find that many varieties of technique seem to work well, or change strategies for the occasion?

I like your emphasis on the light touch. Just like on a hone, any excessive presure can easily damage the delicate edge. Good post.

Jerry
____

Alan,

You are, indeed, the stropmeister! I must admit that, before reading some of your earlier posts on stropping, I never gave that much thought to it. Since...my technique and shaves have improved dramatically. Many thanks!!

P.S. Others, especially newbies, should take note!

To be honest with you Alan, I've only ever found one approach or goal was necessary for my stropping - I strop until I can feel the edge and the strop behave in a certain way with each other, and when that happens I know the edge is as good as it is going to get.

Thinking about it though, I think to get to that final goal I do often incorporate some of those things you mention along the way. I always start off light on a taut strop. Then I gradually increase the pressure - I am a firm believer in pressure during stropping - and as the pressure increases I allow the strop to lose some tension. This is not deliberate though - I do that because I am trying to "feel" the edge on the leather, kind of like keeping your finger on the fishing line to feel the fish bite. If after a little while I don't get the "bite" I am looking for, I try other things like altering speed and angle of attack.

I also think things like tautness, speed, pressure etc depend very heavily on the kind of strop you have - I use my kangaroo strop which is very very thin and thus gives a lot, and I mean *a lot* of feedback directly to both the hand holding the razor and the hand holding the strop. If I put a few fingers of my "strop holding" hand on the leather, I can feel every vibration through the strop immediately. That is something I think you cannot do with a thicker strop (or at least I cannot do it with the other strops I have).

James.

James,

That is very interesting and insightful. I had a feeling there would be many members with this perspective. I like your description. When you describe "bite" how do you determine this?

It's hard to explain exactly what it is, now that I am on the spot! It sent me scurrying off to the strop actually

Probably the best I can come up with is that it is a certain kind of change in draw - does that make sense? But it changes depending on what I am doing: the feel of the bite is different if I am stropping light as opposed to heavy, or fast as opposed to slow etc. One of the reasons I like to use a bit of pressure when I strop (I think of it as heavy stropping) is that I can feel the change in draw easier than if I am stropping lighter. Besides which, I think the thinner kangaroo leather performs a bit better with some deflection.

Sorry I cannot be more specific than that.

James

Alan,

Are you doing any linen stropping or edge cleaning before this or going straight to the leather? I'm definitely going to try these protocols! Thanks for putting them up!

I understand completely. In fact I think it's a little scary just how clearly I follow your post. I also have a very thin pliant strop.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

It's hard to explain exactly what it is, now that I am on the spot! It sent me scurrying off to the strop actually

Probably the best I can come up with is that it is a certain kind of change in draw - does that make sense? But it changes depending on what I am doing: the feel of the bite is different if I am stropping light as opposed to heavy, or fast as opposed to slow etc. One of the reasons I like to use a bit of pressure when I strop (I think of it as heavy stropping) is that I can feel the change in draw easier than if I am stropping lighter. Besides which, I think the thinner kangaroo leather performs a bit better with some deflection.

Sorry I cannot be more specific than that.

James

I don't typically use linen as a part of my stropping. I often will clean and dry the blade after a shave using the linen, which should probably count for something. I use the linen sparingly about once every 2weeks, and about 10 passes. I've noticed in my stropping studies that people say they have "linen" on their strops, but there are worlds of differences. Some strops have linen/canvas, or whatever that I would never, ever consider using on a razor. Mine is very mild and soft and I don't consider it very effective or useful (nor damaging).

I was taught that linen was designed as a roughing agent to increase an edges "catch", and that has always tempered my linen usage.

Originally Posted by PA23-250

Alan,

Are you doing any linen stropping or edge cleaning before this or going straight to the leather? I'm definitely going to try these protocols! Thanks for putting them up!

Alan,

I Think my usual routine is closest to #3.
I've been looking for deflection in my stropping now that I have really cleaned up my motion and stopped nicking the strop (also potentially destroying the delicate edge). I do this with a little pressure, and also by holding the strop a little less taut. Seems like you do both but vary strop tension and pressure independently to get the edge that you want...interesting.
I'm starting to think that I get one "big" gain in smoothness from using the linen before leather. The next time I strop it doesn't seem to do as much. Maybe I will do linen sporadically too.
I always suspected that draw decreases as the edge becomes aligned. Maybe because there is less work being done by the strop? Other times I'm not so sure if that is what I'm feeling, yet I do seem to know when the razor is done on the strop.

------Michael