Thread: Help stropping !!!!

My stopping is terrible I'm getting great shaves out of newly honed razors after one shave then it becomes a battle pulling and non smooth razor strokes. Anybody have any tips for stropping? I nicked the hell out of my cheap begginers strop I'm having a hard time keeping the spine flat on the strop it's difficult for me not to twist my wrist and finding the spine comes off the strop during strokes any way to pratice wo destroying razors!!

What you can do is practice with a dull spare razor or a butter knife; practice the flip while still in motion. Keeping the strop taut will help the spine stay flat as well. A little wrist movement isn't a bad thing either. Keep your wrist/elbow level or slightly elevated relative to the strop, and be sure that your stroke is perpendicular to the strop during the lap.

This isn't a race, so practice slow deliberate strokes until you feel not only comfortable but confident. Speed will come in time.

Suggestion, FWIW:

Hold the razor flat on the strop. You should have your thumb and forefinger on the shank, and the scales should be in a straight line with the blade.

Trying not to twist your wrist at all, flip the razor over (keeping the spine on the strop) just by twisting the shank between your thumb and forefinger.

Twist it back.

When you have learned that motion in your muscles (not just in your brain), the correct stropping motion is like this:

. . . Keep the strop tight;

. . . Strop the razor up the strop;

. . . As you slow down the stroke at the top, start the flip;

. . . when the edge is vertical, start moving down the razor, and continue the flip so the edge is back on the strop;

. . . When you slow down the stroke at the bottom, start the flip;

. . . When the edge is vertical, start moving _up_ the razor, and continue the flip so the edge is back on the strop.

There's at least one video that shows this action very clearly. If you do it right (and you must start with _slow_ practice), you will avoid nicking the strop.

The strop can bend a little bit around the spine. It _must not_ bend around the edge. If it bends around the edge, it'll round it off.

The cure for bending around the edge is either:

. . . tighten the strop, or

. . . reduce the pressure on the edge, or

. . . both of the above.

Butter knives are good, but I just slowed things down till I could get the timing right.

Charles

lay the razor flat
Pull your strop tight..NOT too tight..leave some room for "flex"

use JUST the weight of the blade

go lightly top to bottom

Flip the blade..repeat

You could always get a cheapo Eboy special just to practice stropping with and grind off the edge.
When I started I knew nothing of "proper procedure" and these sites didn't exist so I flip the razor by turning my wrist. So it can be done that way but if you are learning it's best to do it the proper way. It just takes practice and concentration.

Stropping is one of those things people don't think much about and just blow it off but it ain't as easy as it looks and is very important.

Copper, The best I've seen on it has been this thread
http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...ch-2011-a.html

To put it mildly, I was horrible at stropping. I think my strops survived - just so they could get revenge.

Hi Airportcopper,

You might find it useful to keep in mind that stropping is polishing the razor's edge. Using a moderate to light amount of weight from the razor on the strop, move steadily and smoothly. You do not need to bear down on the razor. It is not important to keep the strop taught. It is not important to keep the razor flat on the strop. It is not important to make fast strokes. It is not important to flip the razor in a fancy way at the end of each stroke. It is, however very important for the edge to be in contact with the leather; if it isn't touching the leather then it isn't getting polished.

Best wishes,
Jeff

P.S. If you are indeed an airport security officer - thank you!

The best advice I can give you is watch AFDavis's video (it is a sticky in the stropping forum) and practise. A lot. And then, once you've practised a lot, get out there and practice some more.

Stropping is simultaneously both the most important and (IMO) the most difficult or challenging aspect of using a straight razor. If it doesn't come naturally to you (and it didn't for me either) you have no other option than to just work hard at it every day. Eventually it will pay off. But just make sure you are practising the proper technique - watch that video I suggested above, and go from there.

Good luck.

James.

If you are dulling the edge while stropping, I suspect that you are putting too much pressure on the blade. Most newbies do, I did too. Do not put any pressure on the edge, just let the razor float over the strop on its own weight. Hold the razor loosely so that you don't subconsciously put pressure on it. (Same goes for your face.) Go slow over the strop, not like in the movies, and concentrate on each pass. Treat the edge like a feather, which it is. You are only polishing the edge, not sharpening it. Light, easy and slow...

Originally Posted by JeffR

Hi Airportcopper,

. . . It is not important to keep the strop taught. It is not important to keep the razor flat on the strop. . . .


Best wishes,
Jeff

. . .

On those two points, Jeff and I disagree. I'd say that it _is_ important to keep the razor flat on the strop, and to keep the strap tight.

If you lift the spine off the strop, you'll be rounding the edge.

If you let the strop go slack, you'll be rounding the edge.

Charles