Thread: Stropping for Sharpness

Well it gonna take some practice and a few more tries...to get the hang of it. The shave was still smooth...just have to experiment .

Originally Posted by nessmuck

Iam going in for a shave right now and will try the 45 degree angle with the spine lifted to get it to sing....will post later

Can you elaborate on what you mean by getting it to sing with the spine lifted?

Great thread, btw, really digging it. I love your stropping ideas Alan.

Thank you for this!!!! I am a beginner but after some practice stropping normally, I plan on trying this out.

I know this is an old thread, but I found it when searching about windshield wiper strokes. I find this all very interesting, and I haven't stropped my first lick yet. I am still waiting on the mailman to deliver mys strop. This is an adventure, and I can see that it has no end.

Originally Posted by Jayaruh

I know this is an old thread, but I found it when searching about windshield wiper strokes. I find this all very interesting, and I haven't stropped my first lick yet. I am still waiting on the mailman to deliver mys strop. This is an adventure, and I can see that it has no end.

You are correct. It just goes on, and on, and on.............

Originally Posted by Jayaruh

I know this is an old thread, but I found it when searching about windshield wiper strokes. I find this all very interesting, and I haven't stropped my first lick yet. I am still waiting on the mailman to deliver mys strop. This is an adventure, and I can see that it has no end.

Practice flipping the razor without going through the stroke to start off. When you have the flip mastered go for the stropping motion.

Check out this PDF, includes good info on beginning stropping ;

http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwi...t_-_Honing.pdf

Great document Jimmy! Thanks. Seems there's not much new under the sun.

Seems it is all about proper contact between the blade edge and the strop surface. I agree - great thread.

Dude - I love your straight!

As for the stropping, I had to work hard at not stropping on an angle like that when I began, as I have always honed/stropped my knives that way. Only reason I can come up with as to why I did it that way is because well, I was poorer than I am today once. Hence, my stones were small and I felt like I got more coverage.

I don't do that with my straights because I don't want the tang hitting the strop or hone and changing the angle - even if momentarily or consistently.

If I could avoid the tang, i am sure i would strop as you do.

I'm new still to razor honing, having now only done 14 ebay specials I am very much still developing my razor technique.

I had been finishing on a 12k naniwa followed by a cro ox pasted strop but I was finding the edges pretty harsh until they were 3 or 4 saves in, at which time they became comfortable.

With that in mind the last 3 razors I have honed I've skipped the cro ox and instead gone straight to a plain linen and leather strop (2-3 hundred on the linen and about the same again on the leather). Using this method I have been getting nice comfortable shaves straight away.

Does anyone else find it much more pleasant to just strop after the last stone or am I missing a trick with the cro ox ?