Stropping is King

**suzuki** · 12-07-2006, 05:03 PM

Scott - my apologies I meant to say PuFF.

I edited my original post.

**honedright** · 12-07-2006, 05:09 PM

That's ok. I'm just a little sensitive still after constantly being mis-quoted by one of the SRP moderators on another thread.

Scott

**suzuki** · 12-07-2006, 05:10 PM

No worries, my bad.

**JoshEarl** · 12-07-2006, 05:19 PM

Scott,

I'm pretty intregued by your ability to get so many shaves out of a blade without rehoning. How thick is your beard, and how dense is it? How many laps do you typically do before you shave? Do you use a lot of pressure at first and then lighten up?

I'd love to get my stropping where yours is.

Thanks,
Josh

**honedright** · 12-07-2006, 06:08 PM

Josh,

I'd say my beard is of average density??? I'm of Eastern European (Russian) stock on my mother's side and German/French on my father's. So my beard is fairly heavy, tough, but not so much that I have that perpetual heavy 5 o'clock shadow like a few guys I've seen.

I usually do about 20-30 round trips on both the linen and then leather, although sometimes I don't even count. I've kind of developed a "feel" for when I've stropped enough.

About pressure, I use enough to get a good "draw" on the blade. This means I can feel the blade pulling against the strop with some resistance. I've found this especially important on the linen side. I also try and get some draw on the leather and sometimes end with a few light trips on the leather. If you are using an IRS 827 "Russian" strop, you will have no trouble at all getting a draw. In fact, some may find that these strops give too much draw.

I also think it is important to keep the strop fairly taught while stropping. Not so much that you'd pull it out of the wall, but enough to prevent it from sagging. There is a link here on SRP (I think it's still here) to a Google video of me stropping, and honing. Take a look at that if you want. I do go a little fast and recommend that any new person slow it down a lot, at least until they have enough experience. In the video it looks like the strop is sagging a little, but that is normal. Believe me, I'm pulling the strop pretty tight.

The linen on my strop is a vintage waxed one. Unfortunately no one makes these any longer. I think it is one reason for my success. If you can find one of these in good shape I suggest you try one.

The linen on the new IRS strops is very good too, but really requires some breaking in to get the full benefit.

Good luck,

Scott

**FiReSTaRT** · 12-07-2006, 06:22 PM

Nenad has a good formula for waxing the linen. We can either search it out or he'll chime in with it.

**spacetoast** · 12-07-2006, 06:27 PM

Originally Posted by honedright

There is a link here on SRP (I think it's still here) to a Google video of me stropping, and honing.

Is this you?

http://video.google.com/videoplay?do...tropping&hl=en

**JoshEarl** · 12-07-2006, 06:28 PM

Scott,

I watched that video a few times when I was starting out. I loved the rasping sound and the clatter when you flip the strop over.

Thanks for the tips,
Josh

**honedright** · 12-07-2006, 06:34 PM

Just for the info database, I've also tried spraying urethane on an IRS linen strop.

It is an older IRS strop though, and doesn't have the hard plastic-like filling the newer IRS strops have so the urethane was able to soak into the linen.

Anyway, after the urethane dried, I took some 600 grit wet/dry sandpaper to it followed by a pumice stone until the strop had a definite gloss to it.

The urethane gives some tack allowing for draw and provided a smooth, glossy surface much like the waxed strops provide. I think it improved the strop.

This is just an FYI. If anyone else decides to try it, I'de be interested in reading about the results.

Scott

**FiReSTaRT** · 12-07-2006, 06:37 PM

I was thinking more in the lines of beeswax and turpentine. Don't like the idea of treating my strop with a plastic material

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