Not Using X Stroke, Diagonal Only

Hi, probably a silly question, or just an observation really, but I've now been straight shaving for around a year and get very good results. I hone all my own razors and am very happy with everything I've learnt. One thing I have learnt is there's a lot of different opinions.

A quick question, does anyone strop using a stroke that is only diagonal, i.e. just HALF of an X stroke. I basically stroke from top left to bottom right and then bottom right to top left, I never strop in the much revered X stroke fashion. I do 30/70 pre and 10/10 post, and it always seems to work just fine. I have a good technique with this stroke and note the blade is always flat on the strop. Just curious if anyone else here who may be reading this uses this stroke?

Carl

If I am understanding your method correctly I would call that an x stroke when it comes to stropping. :thinking: IOW, unlike honing, where the diagonal is more pronounced .... the point where most of the razor leaves the hone, with the strop it is something like half .... as you described. :shrug:

I don't think I'm explaining myself well, I do just one of the 'X' diagonals, top left to bottom right; I don't flip and go bottom left to top right; I flip and go bottom right to top left, so, top left to bottom right, bottom right top top left. I've probably made it even more confusing.

I think I understand what you are getting at. I start at the bottom left ( I'm right handed) and flip at the top of the stroke and I do an x stroke. As long as it works ..... :)

I think you are right, sounds like just an observation.

I read this as that you are doing a right handed and then a left handed X stroke! I do mine straight. I have been thinking about doing away with leather all together.

Tim

At risk of starting to get annoying, here's the two worst drawings in history. I simply repeat these two strokes; just one diagonal of the 'X'.

Attachment 104170Attachment 104171

What is the sound of one hand stropping ? :banghead: Trying to figure out if we are doing the same thing, after working a 10 hour shift, is making my head hurt. :cry:

Carl,

I know what you are getting at. You go down on the way out, then come back up on the way back. You don't go back to the top at each end. Sound about right?

There was a huge thread on this a while back. A guy was promoting this method as a big time saver. Other posters thought it went against the striations of the blade. I'll try and find it and if I can I will update this post with the link

Update: I didn't find it.


Michael

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

What is the sound of one hand stropping ? :banghead:

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I think it is the same sound as "if a man speaks, and no woman can hear him, is he still wrong?"

I've used x-strokes and heel-forward strokes whilst stropping. I find it kind of depends on the strop being used, which in my case is an Illinois #127.

I don't know any more what I think. I'm thinking in a traditional X stroke, the heel starts top left side of the strop, ends bottom right of the strop. Then you flip the blade, and heel starts bottom left, end top right.

In MY stroke, heel starts top left, ends bottom right, I then flip, heel starts bottom right, ends top left. Again, it's just one diagonal of the X top left to bottom right, then bottom right to top left. I don't do bottom left to top right

I beieve what you are saying is you go from heel to toe, then, from toe to heel. That is a little different, but I see no reason why that should be discouraged.

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Originally Posted by mjsorkin

Carl,

I know what you are getting at. You go down on the way out, then come back up on the way back. You don't go back to the top at each end. Sound about right?

There was a huge thread on this a while back. A guy was promoting this method as a big time saver. Other posters thought it went against the striations of the blade. I'll try and find it and if I can I will update this post with the link

Update: I didn't find it.


Michael

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Awesome!:D

I don't think the razor or strop will notice the difference, and your results speak for themselves.

It might help if you whisper gently as you strop: "this is an X-stroke, this is an X-stroke".

It really doesn't matter IMO. If it works for you, that's great!

Personally, I have not done an X stroke on a strop for 5 years. I find it fairly pointless (why does a strop need to hit the entire edge of a razor on each stroke?) and a needlessly un-ergonomic and unnatural action for the way my arm works. I either go straight up and back, or I use a curved stroke. If I am on a narrow strop, I strop bits of the edge at a time until the whole edge is done - usually that just happens in two bits: heel to middle, then middle to toe. Again, strops do not remove metal like hones do, so who cares that the entire edge gets hit on each stroke or not?

James.

Yes, it's fine. Strops don't have striations. when we say that we are aligning steel with a strop, what we should really be depicting is the steel aligned lengthwise down the edge. It's as if all the steel should be piled onto itself, like if you were to align sand in a straight, thin line. So any full stroke is effective.

Thank you for the replies, I was thinking maybe I was quite mad for a little while there :-)

Well I just tried your technique Carl and I got to say I dont hate it. Its not a bad motion at all.
Hmmmmm. You might be on to something here.

That is exactly the same technique that I use. I am more accurate and faster with it.
That's just what happened naturally while I was learning how to strop without anyone there to teach me. Now it's
the most natural movement for me.

Works great!

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Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

Thank you for the replies, I was thinking maybe I was quite mad for a little while there :-)

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You post on SRP, of course you're quite mad!

Carl, as always, you're so brave to step forward like this!

The only thing I could think of becoming a problem was if you had a little grit in your strop, your chance of hitting it with the same bit of blade over and over and over is a little greater than if you were doing a true X stroke. Kinda like that lawn I once had, where I wore ruts with the mower wheels because I never varied my mowing pattern. Man, that was such a metaphor for my life at the time. It still haunts me sometimes. That's why I ALWAYS do X strokes, and why I'll never buy a 3" strop and face that risk of back and forth, back and forth, no need or reason to vary. Been there, done that, have the nightmares.

BTW, I knew what you were talking about right away. Just goes to show what soul-brothers we are, man. <fist bump>

Thanks everyone for the replies, esp you Tim.
Ironsidegnr's reply is useful too. I too, started with this stroke, though I did TRY and do a 'proper' X stroke like the obedient little fellow I am.
I find it a much more natural stroke. IF (if) I had an area of the strop that was, well, 'f'd up' so to speak, I guess it may be an issue, but my strop is good. I may be arrested anytime soon, but I'd even go so far as to teach OTHERS to use this method, rather than the X stroke. I think the X stroke causes some over thinking and leads beginners to nick (possibly). However, as previously stated, I don;'t know what I think, and also, as previously stated by another, I'm mad.

Mad Bad Carl

I became aware of this issue a while ago, when it generated a good discussion on a prior thread. I understand what you are doing when you refer to diagonal stropping. With an X stroke, when you reach the top of the strop, you move the razor slightly across the strop before you flip it and bring it back down. It's this slight diagonal movement that let's you make the other side of the X on the way down.

My sense is that in terms of the edge, it doesn't matter whether you use the diagonal or X stroke. Since the last thread on this, I've been alternating the diagonal and X stroke on consecutive shaves and have not noticed any difference. Use whichever stroke you find more comfortable. For newer users, eliminating the lateral movement at the top may reduce the likelihood of nicking the strop.

I got you right away Carl and I think it makes sense. The only issue I see possibly developing , mind it will be over years, is a bad wear pattern that could eventually lead to issues but probably by then all of us but the teenage wiper snappers will be long gone

My dad (born in 1913) used this same motion to strop his pocket knife on a stone similar to a barber hone. He would do the diagonal stroke back and forth with the spine of his knife leading. His pocket knife was always the sharpest around. I have contemplated using this stroke also but have now got the X stroke down but may try it at some point in the future as it is a more natural movement.

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Originally Posted by Castel33

I got you right away Carl and I think it makes sense. The only issue I see possibly developing , mind it will be over years, is a bad wear pattern that could eventually lead to issues but probably by then all of us but the teenage wiper snappers will be long gone

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flip the leather. R/R the hardware, swapping ends yo.

Hey Carl,
I'm with you on your technique and that's a fine way to go about it. I do much the same but, I do one direction a while and shift to the other, go back and forth heel, center and toe for a while and then some "X" motions. Often times my "X" starts to look more like a figure "8" than an "X" but that's usually when I get in a hurry. The idea is to get the leather rubbing diagonally across the edge to create more friction, I believe.

Regards

Chasmo

It's interesting that this thread has been re-invigorated after so long :-)

Now I have a wider strop (that I reserve for use on Sundays during my bedroom shaving stand shaves), I DO do more of an x stroke on that strop. After doing the 'partial x stroke' for so long, and after recording my honing sessions (which on reflection seem to be few and far between) I guess I'd have to say the partial x stroke is certainly working for me :-)