Thread: Cut up my strop! Now what?

Ok I was doing ok with stroping a small nick on the side nothing major. Yesterday I took a huge chunk out the middle. I have a new strop on order from SRD. But what do I do until I get it in. I need to shave lol

I can answer this with confidence and experience......

Try a bit of super glue to glue piece back in from middle then sand the nicks out. I think I used 1200 and 1600 grit. Strop came back like a champ.

Failing that, Newspaper. Maxi shared a tip with me using newspaper attached to a bulldog clip is also great training aid. To much pressure paper pulls out of clip, bad form screds newspaper.

I've actually used news paper, but do it on the table or counter that has a flat pice and use seveal layers of newprint. It adds buffer to the table, and you go in the direction of the spin, like with a leather strop. The "old timers" used it a lot for puting a polish on the edges. Newsprint paper is coarse under high magnification, and the ink used is also a cabon base that contributes to the effect of truing up the edge.

Save that, use a Dremel, sand the center where the cut it and go on. I don't know how badly it is, but most likely the razor will merely skip of the dent and continue.

It's hard to say without photos but if it's possible try to avoid place where you nick the strop and use just surface which is intact.
If it's not possible try to glue it as a member before suggested.
After that I will try to sand glued part with pumice stone rather than sandpaper. I like all natural (sandpaper definitelly not my choice for leather).

As someone else has said use some superglue to glue it back in, do it as perfectly as you can. Dont laugh it works.

I will echo try the superglue first it does work. If for some reason that fails to work remove the hardware from the strop and clean up the cut edges and turn them into paddle/bench strops.

At Dollar General they have pharmaceutical grade super glue for a dollar. I believe it come in a 2 container set. I bought some and keep it in the bathroom cabinet, just in case. That type of super glue would probably work the best, and only costs a dollar.

I have offered this bit of info once before but here it is again. There is no good reason to nick a strop if you take certain precautions.

Here is my personal opinion about the proper way to turn the razor on the strop.

Two barbers back in the 1960's told me that I should strop with my thumb on top of the tang. And some wrist turning is OK.

They also told me that if I wrap my little finger and my ring finger lightly around the handle, it would help me turn [manipulate] the razor with very little wrist turning. Those two fingers on the handle give me more control when changing direction on the strop. It works quite well for me all these years. I have not nicked a strop since 1971. Neither should you.................

Also you must keep the spine in contact with the strop at all times ( just like on the hone ) and practice stropping in slow motion until you feel confident with your stropping method. Strop slow enough so you can actually see the edge flipping at the correct moment. Speed is never important.

I just thought I would tell you what the barbers told me.

Examine this thought. On each stroke you are making a 180 degree change of direction. Do not start this change of direction until you have lifted the cutting edge off of the strop and do not let the edge touch the strop until you have fully changed direction.

You must come to a complete stop before you can change direction. During this momentary "stop", the razor edge should not be touching the strop. The edge only goes back on the strop when the directional change is completed and your hand and razor edge is moving in the correct direction.

Practice all of the above in absolute slow motion and try to see and feel the edge come off the strop at the right moment and go back on the strop at the right moment.

Focus on keeping the razor flat on the strop just as if you were on a stone hone.

The edge only belongs on the strop when it is moving in the right direction.

Again, do all this in SLOW MOTION until you can feel the correct stropping stroke. I always take a deep breath first and always start with the "toward me" stroke.

Stropping is a matter of precise timing just like a musician counting time while playing an instrument. You need to be your own personal judge and you need to be tough on yourself. If you nick your strop, you are going too fast. Slow down...

S L O W M O T I O N and counting are the keys to developing a successful stropping stroke. Concentrate.............

Good luck.............Jerry

+1 on the above... Also a light touch will see minimal damage if mistakes do occur.

Jerry (mrsell63) gave you very good advice. Essentially, you need to rotate the edge up before you stop the stroke and you need to start the stroke in the opposite direction before you rotate the edge down. The manner in which you rotate the edge is rally up to you. The barbers' approach of rotating the shank in the fingers is mainly designed to reduce fatigue from many shaves/strops during the day. It also allows for lighter pressure on the strop, but rotating the razor with your wrist will work ok for the non-barbers among us.

good shaving