Thread: Stropping technique fast or slow? use the fabric side or no?

when I was first learning to strop I watched videos on you tube and they all mentioned that the better you get the faster you can go, which is true I have learned to go quite quickly and still produce a nice shaving edge. However, I find that even when I am sure to use the full length of the strop I produce an even sharper edge when I slow it down a bit. I believe that I am placing the edge on the strop more purely than when I am going quickly. Perhaps it is only that I have not refined the technique enough to go quickly. Especially with the fabric side of the strop, I find a nice smooth slow(er) stroke really hones in the edge very nicely as opposed to a quick fast stroke. When I switch to the leather side I go quicker than the fabric side. Also, previously I did not ever use the fabric side and found that after about two weeks of regular shaving that I needed to take it to the stone. When I began using the fabric side I could go about a month without using the stone again and it still had a crisp sharp blade. Now, that is with 50 strokes on the fabric side and about 40 on the leather side directly afterwards. This has produced (for me) better results than even 80 strokes on just the leather side.

Generally go slow to learn, then faster as you gain skill and confidence. I think there are real advantages for using speed while stropping. The main being that a faster stroke from point A to point B on the strop will have a more even and balanced effect on both sides of the blade edge than a slow stroke, thus a better shaving edge.

OTOH, if you think you are getting good results with slower stropping, then who could argue with that? And then again, what you now think is a good shave could still be better yet. So it still could be beneficial to you to strive for more stropping speed as you get better.

I'm a goldilocks stropper, not too fast, not too slow, but just right. Kidding aside, I don't strop near as fast as I can but I don't strop slow either.

I always go linen first if I'm stropping a razor I've shaved with. If it is off the hone I might go linen/leather sometimes but usually leather only. I always do 20 round trips on leather after the shave and drying off the cleaned blade. Just to get any micro gunk out of the bevel the wipe with the tissue might have missed.

Speed is a personal thing. It is my belief (unproven, yet to be tested etc etc) that there is a threshold minimum speed above which there is only very marginal benefit to be gained *by the introduction of extra speed*.

However, I also believe that each person has individual physical characteristics that govern the ergonomics of stropping, and this includes the speed at which they strop. Finding your stropping "sweet spot" will produce benefits and better edges not because of the speed so much, but because there is a rhythm, control, pressure etc that suits you and you alone. All the tiny nuances that click together happen at that spot, and that is what makes good stropping.

And just to add some extra variables into the mix, not only does this sweet spot vary from person to person, it also varies from razor to razor and strop to strop.

Anyway, that is Jimbo's Grand Unfied Theory of Stropping (GUTS). Take it or leave it, it is up to you.

James.

Slow is smooth.
Smooth is fast.


Focus on smooth.

I've ruined two strops learning how to flip the blade and I don't want to flip any more strops because stropping is not a flipping speed contest. Whatever is comfortable that particular day is how fast I strop and flip. Now that I've gotten to a competent level I'm finding out that when I'm stropping at my highest speed I'm not always getting the flipping feedback I need so now I have to slow down enough to flip and listen for draw.

Try lifting the spine a tiny bit when stropping - you might be pleasantly surprised at the results!

Originally Posted by JeffR

Try lifting the spine a tiny bit when stropping - you might be pleasantly surprised at the results!

Are you suggesting that as a solution to people who have trouble stropping without damage ?

Originally Posted by JeffR

Try lifting the spine a tiny bit when stropping - you might be pleasantly surprised at the results!

To get the exact same effect without the same risk off Rolling the Edge, you might try giving a touch of slack in the strop... This is an effective technique for advanced users when stropping heavier wedge style blades but I honestly don't think it belongs here in this thread...

onimaru55: Not a solution to stropping without damage; just a way to actually be sure that the edge is in contact with the strop and therefore effectively smoothing and returning the edge to shave-readiness. Excessive pressure could cause problems regardless of how flat the blade is kept.

gssixgun: Good point; a touch of slack is also an effective way to do the same thing.

My apologies if my posts aren't pertinent to the subject of this thread, gents. Just wanted to be helpful. Please remove them if you wish.

Thanks,
Jeff