Thread: Why an "X"?

This is getting interesting. My barber taught me years ago to hone going back and forth on a diagonal.

The only point I'm trying to make though is that there may be, or more importantly, they used to think that, there was a relationship between honing and stropping. So if you ask "why strop with an x?" I think it behooves you to question why hone with an x?

And with all these x patterns and pyramids going on, maybe there is some geometric purpose.

So I might point out that the OP might consider honing in the same pattern that he wants to strop in. But, it's a little over my head to figure it out.

As far as I can tell it's not even that important.

"This is getting interesting. My barber taught me years ago to hone going back and forth on a diagonal."

Ah okay then, that would make sense to me. From a barbering perspective and the training they got.

And it could be something as simple as it just being easier to use the same pattern consistently.

It would take some serious testing to figure this one out.

Originally Posted by ScottChapin

Why wouldn't back and forth on a slant give full contact?

As was said before , in a perfect world with perfectly straight razors that's fine but think of a razor with a warp in the spine that lifts the centre of the blade off the stone or strop. How do you strop or hone that centre bit ?

I think if you look at the back and forth Diagonal and realize that if you move from heel to toe and toe to heel when you do that just a little bit, then it becomes an X pattern... Most every X pattern demo is exaggerated to show the motion you don't have to move the razor that much just a little X will accomplish what is needed...

Just so long as the entire edge moves across the strop evenly and equally then you can do crazy 8's,,, Myself I use a racetrack pattern when I really get moving..

If you get in the habit of thinking X it helps to accomplish the evenly and equally at the beginning...

I did a video once with crayons showing on a piece of wood the striation patterns of standard x honing and then standard x stropping. It was in relation to a question about what makes effective stropping and the central thesis was that you need to follow the hone striations when you strop. Turns out standard x stropping is in fact opposite to standard x honing for obvious reasons. But maybe I digress...

I am a firm believer in doing whatever works for you. Personally I strop mostly in a wind screen wiper fashion, which is not really an x pattern, although sometimes I will x.

The idea that an x stroke is the only way to hit the entire edge on a narrow strop is only true if you need the whole edge to hit the strop on each stroke - if you are prepared to strop sections of the edge on each stroke an x pattern is not necessary at all. Same applies for warped spines or whatever. I often strop this way on my narrower strops. I do not tend to do this too much when honing, though I have tried it on occasion with no untoward effects and I know of at least one other person who does it this way often - his edges are excellent. Probably not something to be tried without a bit of experience first (honing sections at a time I mean. Stropping in sections is IMO pretty benign).

So the x pattern for stropping is certainly traditional and perhaps the easiest to learn and explain to people, but in my experience certainly it is just one of many ways one can go about skinning the cat.

James.

Not sure how important it is, but if you do the diagonal pattern, the striations on the edge of the blade would go in different directions on either side of the edge. This is because the blade motion starts at the inner edge and ends at the outer (striations pointing out), is flipped over and then goes from outer to inner (striations pointing in). With the x-pattern, the striations go the same way (assuming the strop creates slight striations, certainly true if using certain pastes)

Originally Posted by onimaru55

As was said before , in a perfect world with perfectly straight razors that's fine but think of a razor with a warp in the spine that lifts the centre of the blade off the stone or strop. How do you strop or hone that centre bit ?

Hmmmm, as a noob, I was thinking you would stay away from such razors.

Originally Posted by ScottChapin

Hmmmm, as a noob, I was thinking you would stay away from such razors.

Personally , I do but you'd be surprised how many I hone for others that don't. Even brand new razors can be less than perfectly straight.
I'd go out on a limb & say some degree of a warped spine is common which may be why the X pattren was invented .

To tell you the truth, I dont hone in an x or diagonal. I work up and back the length of the spine with several strokes to cover the entire width of the blade. I hone straight, no X pattern because my hone is wide enough.

Some nights I take the time to strop in perfect X's, most I dont at all. I've never noticed a difference, at all between the shaves. I am by no means a shaving expert or much of an enthusiast, I just like to use straight razors. I am not in search of a perfect spectacular edge, because my honing stops at 8k, then its right on to webbing and leather.

I think a lot of people get pretty crazy with this shaving thing! I am just looking for a good shave! but that is just me!

I think the key to anything is a light touch! I would say to strop lighter for more strokes. A light, proper stroke is not going to ruin the edge, evenif it doesn't get the entire edge in one swipe