Thread: Stropping for Sharpness

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

It is a traditional stroke, only angled. I think your description is accurate. I would prefer not to claim that I am opposing the "teeth" or striations, although I have noted that that might be a factor. For now I am only accepting the quality of he resultant edges.

I think I have already gone a little out on a limb trying to explain why I think the edges are better.

I'm betting if others agree they'd be smarter than me in figuring it out.

AFD. Thank You for posting. You can bet I'll try it. I remember when I first started, I tried stropping that way while having the strop hang. You seem rather focused on some fine points of stropping. I appreciate you sharing observations whether or not you have a bunch of reasons/theories as to why something should or shouldn't work. Thx. again.

This is essentially what I do when I strop, but somewhat different. I do maintain a certain angle of the razor relative to the strop as in your demo. But as I've posted many times before, with videos and illustrations, I use a sort of arcing motion, kind of like a windshield wiper blade. I think it does pretty much the same thing as what you have demonstrated.

Originally Posted by honedright

This is essentially what I do when I strop, but somewhat different. I do maintain a certain angle of the razor relative to the strop as in your demo. But as I've posted many times before, with videos and illustrations, I use a sort of arcing motion, kind of like a windshield wiper blade. I think it does pretty much the same thing as what you have demonstrated.

You stole my line. I was going to say it's windshield wiper stropping. That's the way I've always done it. The only difference is I don't keep a fixed angle as it changes as I strop.

Those are great points. I'm going to try that and see how it goes. Do you guys use a 3 inch or 2.5?

Mine's 2.5", but don't tell anyone, OK?

Always up for trying a new stropping technique !!! Will post after trying

Originally Posted by nessmuck

Always up for trying a new stropping technique !!! Will post after trying

Awesome! It took me about three stropping iterations, around 100 passes before I actually was able to realize an improvement in sharpness.

Originally Posted by honedright

Mine's 2.5", but don't tell anyone, OK?

Your secret is safe!

'Tried w/ the strop hanging, and it was not an improvement - but that's hanging, and the first attempt. I don't know if anyone else has tried w/ the strop hanging. I'll try next on the tabletop.

If it works it ain't dumb! I have seen toe forward stropping right off the hones on a CrOx and diamond sprayed bench strops and on hanging linen. Settles the edge down quickly.
Enjoy but watch carefully and low speed til you are sure of what you want to do that session.
Cheers!
~Richard