Thread: Understropped and Overstropped

Yea, you got it.

Originally Posted by alb1981

Good info!


I must say that I have had noticible difference since adding a little (and I do mean little) pressure to my stropping. Since I started last year I had made ever effort to strop with no pressure what so ever. I noticed that freshley honed blades took a few shaves to settle down. Since reading about stropping pressure as of late I have made a concentrated effort to add just a touch of pressure. I find my shaves are improving on freshley honed blades and it is definately keeping my other blades in good working order.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Probably not, but if your razor is shaving well, over a lengthy period of time, you're probably stropping well. If you aren't stropping effectively it should become evident after a few shaves, say 5-6.

I own 1 (count them if you can) SR. I have been using it for about 1 year now and it has nearly become my daily shaver. I sent it to Lynn to get touched up. When it came back, it was clearly better. Then again, it lasted a year before I truly NEEDED to get it sharpened.

That's awesome! I'd stick with your process.

Alan, thanks for posting this thread.

I agree with your observations. A small amount of pressure is necessary. Based on what I have experienced and, most importantly, what I have observed from new guys who demonstrate their stropping for me, I have come to the conclusion that a majority of the new guys are afraid to put any pressure on the razor while stropping.
Most of them say that the edge is delicate and they do not want to ruin it.
One other observation I made was that they did not distinguish between pressure on the spine and pressure on the edge. Again, most of them had more pressure on the spine and less on the edge to the extent that in some cases the edge was occasionally not making contact with the leather.

To correct this I first assured them that the edge was not all that fragile. Then I suggested that they apply some "torque" to the tang so that 60"% of the weight/pressure is on the edge and 40% on the spine. Just enough to keep the edge in contact with the leather. The question always is "how much pressure?". I demonstrate my stropping and tell them that I judge mine by the amount of deflection in the center of the strop while I am stropping. My gauge is 1/2" - 1". I then have them practice stropping for awhile and most of them "get it" after only a few minutes. Oh, and I also demonstrate the X stroke and its advantages.

But, back to pressure.......yes, some is necessary. Just enough to keep the EDGE on the leather and to cause the strop to deflect in the center just a small bit.
And be consistent........

Just my $.02

Randy,

Thank you for that great summary. The deflection part is an important point I was thinking of adding next. I think you've hit the nail on the head!

great info thanks for sharing!!!

Your observations and suggestions are right on with my own experience. Stropping can improve or damage a freshly honed edge. Better to favor light and loose. There is a real FEEL to proper stropping that very gently but adequately strops the edge to perfection. There is such a thing as too light on the pressure.

The width of the blade is also a factor. I find that my <5/8" half-hollow is far more tolerant of differing strokes and pressure than my >6/8" Bismarck extra hollow where a light touch is mandatory. Thanks for your commentary.

Thank you for the post Randy,
I'm new to this first off. I read your post on stropping and I think that's exactly what I'm doing! I was just about to put the thing back to the rocks but I think I'll take your advice and gve the strop another try. Worst I can do is screw it up right?!

Alan,

Thanks for the great post. I think you have talked over many of these points in our pm's and phone conversations and it's nice to see much of it all in one place.

Like many beginners I tried at first to put zero pressure on the strop. It's been a little tough to unlearn zero pressure from my muscle memory, but I am working on it, and watching for deflection too. I think I have seen some improvement in edges also.

-------Michael

AF D

Thanks for a great thread. As regards downward pressure, I have found that it is easy to prevent any variation by mounting all my strops at just below my elbow heighth. That way, the strop is always level and parallel to the floor on which I am standing and any pressure on the strop is the same throughout the stropping stroke.

Jerry
____