Doing good but still nicking the strop

Hello All,

I seem to be doing well stropping.

My first strop I cut quite a bit.

I practiced for some time with newspaper and didn't seem to have a problem nicking the strop.

Now I have a new strop and I have nicked this one as well.

Should I begin my return stroke while the razor is turning over? I feel like when I try to stop at the end of the stroke, turn the razor, flatten the blade and begin the return stroke... this is when I gouge the strop. I feel like if I was moving in the other direction while I am flipping the blade I would not push the blade and gouge the strop.

any ideas?

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Originally Posted by Shoki

Should I begin my return stroke while the razor is turning over?

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Exactly. That is the proper way to strop, the flip happens when the razor is still in motion. This will cut down, but not completely eliminate, the chances of nicking your strop.

Should be a smooth motion. Don't stop with a jerk. When you reach the end of stroke you just just be starting to flip, and not hit the blade end until you are already moving in the return stroke.

Hello, Shoki:

Stropping calls for a series of smooth movements. Yes, as our good friend Ryan points out, the return starts while the blade is turning. Also, the pressure stays light throughout the stropping process. All you need is the razor's weight. Finally, full concentration on what you're doing. Shut everything out and focus on stropping. You'll get there.

Regards,

Obie

Lots of good advice here. Stropping too fast like on the movies will also result in nicks. Sometimes the razor hasn't been flipped yet by the time you have already reversed direction. I nicked my first strop to the point where it was un-usable, the nicks are too deep to repair and constantly snag on the blade.

I can't speak for the proper way to strop, but what helped me to not nick the strop anymore is to stop at the end of my lap, then turn the blade, then strop again, stop, turn, strop, stop, and turn.

If you try turning while still in motion, I would think you stand a higher chance of nicking your strop.

The 1961 barber manual PDF excerpt on honing and stropping here has has some good suggestions such as practicing the flip without doing the stroke until it is second nature. I also found that holding the tang top and bottom between the tips of the thumb and forefinger made a positive difference. When I held the tang between the end of my thumb and at the first joint of my forefinger I nicked my strop more often. My middle, ring and small finger are lightly supporting the scales. Hard to describe but I've noticed it makes a difference too.

With larger cuts where there is a flap you can sometimes glue them with contact cement. I've only had that happen with one strop and when it was glued back you couldn't even see or feel it. Taught me that if you're going to drink don't strop.

I think you need to figure out what works for you.

Laying the razor down, then making the stroke, then stopping, then flipping, then returning is totally fine. You just need to be 100% sure you will not move the razor in the edge leading direction after you have stopped.

Personally, I strop as Ryan described - I am already moving the razor before the edge touches the strop (the spine is always on the strop). The only thing I would add is that, on the other end of my stroke, I already lift the edge before my stroke is complete. So, if you were to look at edge contact, my edge does not touch the strop for the first inch or two OR the last inch or two. This way, I never have the edge on the strop when the razor is stationary. Since the edge only touches while the spine is leading, there is no way for the edge to cut the strop (that I can think of).

The key word would be a fluid motion. Of course when you start out it ain't gonna be very fluid. So you just start slow and carefully. I'd tell you how I do it but honestly it's become so automatic when I slow down and observe I tend to screw up myself.

Practice with a butter knife until you can strop in your sleep.
Take it slow. Learning the correct way to do it before you work on the speed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Obie

Hello, Shoki:

Stropping calls for a series of smooth movements. Yes, as our good friend Ryan points out, the return starts while the blade is turning. Also, the pressure stays light throughout the stropping process. All you need is the razor's weight. Finally, full concentration on what you're doing. Shut everything out and focus on stropping. You'll get there.

Regards,

Obie

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I agree with the full concentration. Every time I have nicked a strop it was when I momentarily looked away due to some distraction.
I also have found that if you go slow, concentrate turning the blade it only takes about 2-3 minutes to strop a blade.

The best practice is perfect practice. Many times, as we get familiar with motor memory, we repeat the same mistakes over and over.

A good excercise is to go reteach your left hand(assuming you are not southpaw) the basic mechanics of timing of when you are turning over the razor at the moment of direction change. While you are at it, your grip should also be adjusted properly. Several tutorials can be studied if you do a search.
When you go back to your dominant hand, reteach it to do the basics to it again keeping speed down.

DO NOT INCREASE SPEED UNTIL YOU HAVE ISOLATED THE PROBLEM. ALLOW YOUR BRAIN TO STAY AHEAD OF YOUR HAND UNTIL THE OFFENDING HABBIT IS ERASED FROM MUSCLE MEMORY. Speed and grace will return but do not rush it.

This works because you will find the bad habbit you have and be able to isolate it and get into the correct habbit.

I found this method by accident when I noticed the draw felt different between the up stroke and down stroke. My stropping improved dramatically. It will take a little while to learn your new stropping stroke and to weed out what has become too familiar, so be patient.