Thread: Stropping observation

About a month or so ago, I put a(nother) nick in my hanging leather strop. This one's on the edge, right in the middle of the strop, and I wasn't sure that I'd be able to repair it well enough that I could continue to strop with it, so I figured I'd have to buy a new leather. I figured in the meantime I'd just use my travel leather strop, which is just a 3" X 13" piece that I lay flat on the counter. Well, procrastinator that I am, days turned into about 4 or 5 weeks before I got around to ordering a new piece of leather. Stropping on leather laid flat on a hard surface was slower--very slow at first--but when I got my new hanging leather last week and put it on , I noticed right away that my technique had improved drastically in the month I was stropping on the flat. I should mention that I started straight shaving and stropping back in May 2010. I think my stropping was fine before, judging by the shaves I've consistently gotten, but something is noticeable different in my stropping now. I think stropping on a hard, flat surface really helped me learn what lightest pressure combined with consistent edge contact feels like. It also really helped with how I flip the razor at the end of each stroke, even with a couple of my razors that are very loose in the pivot. Just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience.

Thank You for posting this.

I started about the same time. 'Butchered a few strops. Butchery is behind me, but my stropping experience still seems out of the mainstream. Most say that more than 60 laps does nothing to improve an edge. I typically do 100-200. Results are pleasing, but I suspect pilot error is why the extra laps work so well.

Originally Posted by Durhampiper

even with a couple of my razors that are very loose in the pivot.

I can't strop a razor that is loose at the pivot. An easily corrected circumstance fortunately. See the re-pinning a razor tutorial in the SRP Wiki here. Vids at the end to illustrate the pinning process. I use a lightweight hammer but I've seen it done with a large tablespoon. Just go light on the tapping.

Since you are now adept at stropping on a flat surface give newsprint a try if you haven't already done so. The black print seems to be the best rather than color photos or ads. Very effective in giving a scary sharp edge if that is your pleasure.

Jimmy,

Thanks for the info about tightening a loose pivot. I think I had seen something in a forum here about tapping lightly with a tablespoon, and I tried it but with no success--probably I didn't do it for long enough. I'll read the rest of the info you linked me to and give it another shot.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Since you are now adept at stropping on a flat surface give newsprint a try if you haven't already done so. The black print seems to be the best rather than color photos or ads. Very effective in giving a scary sharp edge if that is your pleasure.

I have tried newsprint on a couple of occasions, usually when travelling, but haven't noticed a big difference--but again, I probably didn't do enough laps. How many do you recommend as sort of a baseline for newsprint?

Originally Posted by Durhampiper

I have tried newsprint on a couple of occasions, usually when travelling, but haven't noticed a big difference--but again, I probably didn't do enough laps. How many do you recommend as sort of a baseline for newsprint?

I have found good results with as little as 30 to 50 round trips. SRP member mparker762 hasn't posted lately but he experimented extensively with stropping on one surface or another. Here is an archived post by him with a more info on newsprint and stropping.