Thread: stropping for newbies

I can't say that I've ever tried cardboard, but I have been advised to use newspaper if you have a strop that doesn't have a cloth portion to it (which I currently don't). I definitely agree with your advice about sitting down to strop. I made all kinds of mistakes with my strop hanging. The strop got cut up and I ended up with a very dull, painful razor. Then I sat down at the edge of a table and laid out my strop and very lightly and carefully began to strop. Problem solved. Now my blade is sharp again and I don't find myself making stupid mistakes that ruin my strop's leather.

There are many ways to strop. You can use a bench strop or paddle or loom and there are all kinds of materials we have discussed. The thing is, using a hanging leather strop is the classic way to strop and considering you just want to dress the edge it's probably the most effective means which is why barbers had them hanging from their chairs instead of some other material or type of strop.

So from my point of view it probably behooves you to learn how to use one properly.

+1

Can't stop making the same mistake until you dissect the problem. Figure out why you knick so much. Watch your form, take thought out and purposeful strokes as you strop. Every type of behaviour, be it muscular, neural, whatever, follows the ABC's:

Antecedent, Behaviour, Consequence.

In this case, the Behaviour is the "form, technique", and the Consequence is the nicked strop. Find the antecedent. Stance, strop height, tension or lack thereof, twisted strop, etc.

I don't mean this to sound uppity or harsh....but I really nicked my first strop, and it took a couple PM's from a senior member to get me on the right track.

Hope this helps a bit.

Might be the first time I openly disagree.

thebigspendur makes a valid point that you owe it to yourself to learn how to strop with a loose piece of leather eventually. I agree with that much.

However, there's absolutely nothing wrong with using paddle or loom strops. (You've basically made a DIY paddle strop by laying it on the table.)

I think barbers used them because of tradition (a very very valid motivation in this pursuit) but also because there's no better way to save space AND always have something handy than to "hang it" within arms reach.

Heck, I've only visited one "honemeister" he uses loom and paddle and hanging strops. Mastro Livi makes and uses loom strops.


Use what you got. Get what you want. Learn how to use it.

Originally Posted by Soilarch

Might be the first time I openly disagree.

thebigspendur makes a valid point that you owe it to yourself to learn how to strop with a loose piece of leather eventually. I agree with that much.

However, there's absolutely nothing wrong with using paddle or loom strops. (You've basically made a DIY paddle strop by laying it on the table.)

I think barbers used them because of tradition (a very very valid motivation in this pursuit) but also because there's no better way to save space AND always have something handy than to "hang it" within arms reach.

Heck, I've only visited one "honemeister" he uses loom and paddle and hanging strops. Mastro Livi makes and uses loom strops.


Use what you got. Get what you want. Learn how to use it.

+1. Although I prefer a hanging strop for daily use I have a paddle strop for traveling and I like it very much. For some people it is their method of choice.
I agree that it is probably a good idea to learn to use a hanging strop when you are comfortable with you technique. However there is nothing wrong with using a paddle strop as your primary means of maintaining an edge.
After all, straight shaving is about what works for YOU. Not what works for everyone else. Good luck.

bapsdds,

For me, I found paddle strops much easier to use than a hanger and have used paddles exclusively for the last eighteen months or so

For sake of 'completeness', I have brought my hanging strop skills up to snuff this last month !

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

One of my initial goals in this straight razor shaving enterprise was to avoid nicking a strop. So far I've been successful. I started with a paddle stropp and now have a hanger as well. Although there will be a transition to the hanger, I believe it is easier to learn to strop on a paddle and then make the transition to the hanging stropp.

I started out with and continue to use a paddle strop, mostly because my bathroom does not lend itself to a hanging strop. the easiest way I found to learn how and prefect your stropping technique is to use a razor substitute; like a plastic knife with the teeth, (if any) filed off.

The edge of the table trick is one I tell many beginners because it works so well...
Take your time and use that to learn "the Flip" it doesn't much matter what strop you are using you have to learn "the Flip"
Stropping is very easy, "the Flip" is the hard part to learn, are you getting the hint here yet

AFDavis / Alan has a vid on here of him stropping it is well worth it to watch, Alan has one of the smoothest stropping motions you will ever see, and he does a great job of showing you how to master "the Flip"

The absolute best advice to learning to strop is SLOW DOWN...