Thread: Nicked my new strop.

I just started the obsession of shaving with a straight... Thanks LinacMan... I am wondering about my technique stropping though. I do not feel as if I am getting the razor as sharp as it should be after stropping. Keep in mind that I just purchased a new razor from SRD and the shave was impressive. I am primarily concerned about the tip of my razor and how my technique could improve. I did nick my new strop today with the tip of my razor. Yes the same spot I was concerned about and I felt it tugging a little when I shaved. Do I need to focus on keeping my elbow up? How much pressure? Any pointers?

What kind of strop are you using? Generally, keeping the elbow up is good. Don't use any pressure at all at first and use more "laps" to get results instead of pressure. Welcome to the forum and good luck!

I have a leather strop I bought on SRD. How many laps is recommended?

Originally Posted by SandmanTapp

I have a leather strop I bought on SRD. How many laps is recommended?

25-30 laps on linen, then 50-60 on leather before each shave is fairly common. 1 lap=one round back and fourth.

Sandy,

30 strokes or so is fine for normal maintenance, but the impact of the edge slicing leather showing up as tugging, means more strokes that hit primarily that area are needed. I would give a couple hundred strokes on just the section that sliced the strop. 'Wish afdavis could weigh in here. He's pretty sharp w/ the strops (no pun intended).

If you haven't seen Glen's 3/11 tips for beginners thread. Drop what you're doing and go there now.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...ch-2011-a.html
be sure to see afdavis' vids on the flip. Sham's vids are also superb (hi_bud_gl).

Strops still run screaming when I enter a room. I destroyed 5 while learning. I'm in the wrong tax bracket for that level of fxxxeduptitude.

There are posts about how to fix nicked strops. I simply sanded the nick in the edge of mine with sandpaper until it 'blended in'. I think you DO need to tend to the nick before you go back to stropping, IMMHO. I took stock of a comment I read the other day about the 'danger' of too many laps, in that one can lose concentration. You DO need to really focus on what you're doing, other wise you'll 'roll the edge' (bend the edge by pressing too hard with the edge, letting the strop hand loosely or flipping the razor the wrong way at the end) or nick the strop. Or even just be plain ineffective. I found out early that stropping is really really reallyimportant, if you don't do it or don't do it right the shave will be very much poorer. Obviously you shouldn't dig the tip into the strop, but I'm not saying that's what you did. I also concentrate on stropping the entire length of the blade, heel and tip included. As I have a thinnish strop I do one end each lap; i.e. heel end in contact, flip, heel end in contact, flip, toe end in contact, flip, toe end in contact, flip, etc. I do 30 linen, 70 leather (adds to a nice even number) and have just started doing 10 canvas, 10 leather after shaving to dry the edge.

Hope you get your strop all fixed up, remember, concentrate! You need to REALLY 'get in the zone' :-)

Don't sweatit. I have a strop that looks like i threw a cat on acid at it...still works fine.. Just not as pretty.

Stropping isn't a chore to me, so I have no difficulty doing 150 laps. I've had shoulder surgery on the right, stropping, side, so I sometimes break that up into sets of 30 or 50, depending how the shoulder feels.

My usual regimen is 30 laps on linen, then 100 on SRD Bridle leather. That keeps the edge just fine for shaving for weeks.

Regarding a nicked strop, I don't think it matters so much whether you can see the nicks but whether your blade can "feel" them. I have a paddle strop that has residual nicks in it, maybe ten of them. I strop with it every day and the blade never complains. If the blade did complain, I'd listen. I have a brand new back up but haven't had to use it.

Good advice. I too am about to have shoulder surgery so we will see how it goes in regards to shaving with a straight.

Hello, Sandman. A nicked strop is part of the straight razor shave education. Sometimes I think it's a required course. Not to worry, though, because many of us have sat in the same classroom. Good luck with your surgery. Remember, with imagination and improvisation, you'll find the way to shave with the straight razor and strop to your heart's content.