Thread: How much pressure when stropping?

I have a question about pressure when stropping. A lot of articles I've read talk about using no pressure, but from the videos watched it looks like there is some pressure being used:
eg



I am am wondering how much pressure is good for stropping and if I am using enough to do a good job. Would appreciate some direction.

Thanks

No pressure is kind of misleading, there should be pressure but not so much to roll the edge.
Unfortunately to figure how much to use you need to practice.

There should be enough pressure _on the spine_ so you can see the strop bend a little bit around the spine.

You should _not_ be able to see the strop bend as it goes around the edge. If you can see it bending, you're pressing too hard on the edge.

I once put a strop down along the edge of a table, and did an X-stroke with a Dovo "Best Quality" razor -- not the thinnest grind. In good light, I could see the whole edge bending as it came off the strop!

A light hand is best.

Charles

If you look at it semantically, no pressure = no contact. You only need enough pressure to maintain contact but that is usually a lot lighter than most beginners think, hence the expression "no pressure".

A lot more pressure than you might think. The "weight of the blade" is a myth. It's the sound. I've never heard anyone talk about the sound a proper stropping makes and using THAT as your guide. You're shooting for that paper tearing sound. More on a hollow and less on the wedge.

+1 with the above. Each razor will sing differently. You'll get use to what's right for each one.

Pressure? Stropping? Go to the Head Master's office straight way boy, and tell him why you're there!...
Now, class, have we done pre-shave preparation yet?

I think if you concentrate on the 'no pressure' concept at first, after a few months you'll understand...Sound is also a good gauge, as mentioned above by Slash, however you need to know the sound each of your razors like if you have a few different styles. The sound my Full Hollow Burrell Top Flight makes is truly astonishing, but so again is the sound from my De Pews near wedge. Nice, pleasant, comforting sounds. You have to know your razor's preferred stropping sound. I find I can't RARELY see the edge that well as I strop, so feel and hearing guide me.

For me, I concentrate on a fully trailing edge. No twist on the tang to force it down, a twist or hold to bring it to the strop so it trails. I also do quite a few laps (30/70).

It's one the principles of marksmanship "The weapon must point naturally at the target with no undue effort on behalf of the firer"...

That's just how I do it and it seems to work quite well for me...

Just use enough to keep the spine of the razor in contact with the leather for the whole stropping stroke. I'd suggest you anchor the strop somwhere around waist high so you are stropping on a relatively flat plane. I found this to be much easier to learn on. And yeah, the guy in the second vid is a good stropper, but don't try to mimick him, you'll destroy your strop, just go slow at first to learn the stroke.

After I put my blade on the strop, I apply light pressure to the spine. That will result in even lighter pressure on the edge. In combination with the right speed of drawing and keeping the spine on the leather at all times, I get a fine edge .

At least this works for me.

The problem is that 'light pressure' is different for everyone, as is drawing speed etc. So you need to practice and find out what works best for you.

The amount of bowing you see in the strop has a lot to do with how "taught" the person is holding the strop.

Experience is the best guide for "how much pressure should be used?" I am not sure there is much of a shortcut for this...I find that more trips across the strop and less pressure yields a sharper edge.