Thread: Strop Height / Position

I have been experimenting the past day or so and notice it significantly better to have a slight upward angle from waist height to say 6 inches up where the strop is attached. All the sudden my stropping has improved tremendously. the katayama strop I bought through the classifieds here has also made a tremendous difference in not only my appreciation for stropping but the quality of my shave. Does anyone have any suggestions for cleaning the linen of the katayama as mine has about a 2" oil stain through it which I don't even know where it came from and some light chrome oxide stains on it from when I used to use that with another strop (apparently contageous stuff). I have found the new strop linen seems to do a great job without any paste and that stuff is a mess.

oh and I know they dont recommend anything for prepping the strop except your hands sweat but i would like to do a light cleaning and conditioning of the leather as some bits are discolored if anyone has any suggestions.

I'm a doorknob strop guy. I used to watch barbers strop and they had them attached to a hook built into their barber chairs more often than not. This left them roughly waist high too so that is where I began and remain. My strop slopes slightly downward due to where my doorknob is relative to my height. I think, from reading about guys who have them on towel racks and what have you , that there is no "right" height. Only what we get used to.

The oil on your linen may be neatsfoot from someone treating their strop ? Once the leather has stains I don't know an effective way of getting it out. Perhaps a treatment of neatsfoot would equalize it with the rest of the strop but that might change the draw. If you like the feel of the strop as is I would leave well enough alone. I've cleaned linen in a bucket with cool water and woolite. Let it air dry on a flat surface.

I'm trying to figure this out too. I used a padded quick clamp to attach the strop to the door jamb. This allowed me to change the height easily. I started elbow high, moved it to the height that let me put good tension on the strop, then I varied it up and down in small increments. For me the best attachment place is about 3-4 inches below where I hold the strop. This is about 6 inches below my elbow height.

Originally Posted by RustyBlades

I'm trying to figure this out too. I used a padded quick clamp to attach the strop to the door jamb. This allowed me to change the height easily. I started elbow high, moved it to the height that let me put good tension on the strop, then I varied it up and down in small increments. For me the best attachment place is about 3-4 inches below where I hold the strop. This is about 6 inches below my elbow height.

I was planning to start playing with the height too and will check this.

Tied to a Towel rail, slightly above waist height.

Originally Posted by easyace

Tied to a Towel rail, slightly above waist height.

Same. I think I have to rename it Stropping rail though.

Guess im an odd one, I have mine at about nose height (im 6'3" if that helps with the visual). dunno why this height feels the most natural to me.

This was one of the first newbie questions I asked Obie. Partially based on his advice I hung mine at about navel level and strop with the free end downhill slightly. To be honest, part of the reason I hung it at that height was based on the height of our baseboards. I tend towards OCD and wanted the entire strop to be "framed" by the strop board I made. I did not want the strop hanging partially over the baseboard, nor did I want the bottom of the strop board looking like it was sitting on the baseboard. http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...-my-strop.html Lucky for me, I'm relatively tall

Last time I was in Missouri I noticed that Lynn has his stops hanging from just below the counter top (standard height) in his shave den. When he strops, he holds the strop uphill towards him. This lends credence to Glenn's statement above. I guess there's more than one way to skin a cat (or is that a cow, kangaroo, or horse).

I keep most of mine at about shoulder height.
That's where I felt I had room for a hook in the wall so that is where it went.
As I bought a few more strops, I had to find one more location, and that happened to be at door-knob level.
Nowadays, I strop on whatever strop I feel like, and I use it where it hangs.

So I guess what I'm saying is that it really doesn't matter anymore.
Anything between 2 1/2 feet to about 6 is alright by me

My bathroom already had a hook mounted a few inches above my waist height, perfect fit for my strops