Advice for first attempt at stropping

Hi all,

I've had a look through the library on here, watched a load of stropping videos and will perform my first strop in the next few days before embarking on shave number 3. I've even had a practice the the butter knife and my belt and it doesn't seem that difficult in theory.

I'm still worried as a lot of people feel that as sure as you're born, you'll blunt your first razor learning to strop. I really want to avoid doing this so am looking for advice from people as to how their first strops went and what other pitfalls to avoid. Can a first strop truly be a guaranteed failure?

Cheers for any advice.

G

Although I am not an expert I have been straight shaving for a few months and have yet to dull any of my razors on my strop. I, like you, have read how it is inevitable to do this. I took that as a challange. Just take your time, slow precise movement and you will be fine. I also read how one should only start with shaving your cheeks until you get the hang of it then move on in small sections of your face. The rebel in me decided to start off doing my whole face. I believe I am doing fine with minimal blood lose. :dropjaw: It is all up to what you want to do and what you are comfortable with. Have fun...

Thanks, that's reassuring. Hopefully my technique will get off to a good enough start that muscle memory takes care of the rest. It is wierd though how most strops are narrower than the typical blade. Surely that'ts a massive design flaw.

You should use an "x" pattern when stropping to contact the whole blade. I am sure there are others out there that can explaine how this benefits the edge instead of just going straight back and forth on the strop.

Is an X pattern on a narrow strop better than straight on a wider strop? The strop I've got is 1.75 inch which I think is about average based on what's available at the mo.

I find that the new folks that are really heavy handed are the ones most likely to dull out an edge when stropping or even break plastic handles on razors by pushing down hard on the scales vs. holding the razor by the shank or tang. Try not to over think the stropping and use light pressure with a nice rhythm and enjoy.

Have fun.

And to try abd answer the question to the x patern I always try to use tge rolling x pattern for the simple fact of not all strops are 3” wide and that is the best way to get contact on all of your blade. And if there are any dips in your strop you dont want that 1 spot in your blade not to reap the benifeits of the strop. Although you should be carefull when flipping blade not to cut strop. I've never done this myself knock on wood but I've herd stories.

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Originally Posted by Sanders83

Can a first strop truly be a guaranteed failure?

Cheers for any advice.

G

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No, but I will tell you what is guaranteed: Nicking your strop!! I swore up & down I wouldn't but guess what...I did!! ;)

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Originally Posted by jpcwon

No, but I will tell you what is guaranteed: Nicking your strop!! I swore up & down I wouldn't but guess what...I did!! ;)

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Even flipping the razor on it's spine? I've seen a lot of videos where the guy just uses the weight of the blade and nothing else so I think that's what I'll do. And hold it by the tang too, holding by the handle sounds silly and doesn't surprise me that some handles break that way. Plus the hinge could move etc.

Fear is your enemy. Having said that, I recommend looking for a good synthetic finishing hone. Then as CH says, have fun.

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Originally Posted by Sanders83

Even flipping the razor on it's spine?

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You can nick the strop even if you're flipping it (the razor) on its spine. For me, I have to flip the razor when I've come to a complete stop at the top (or bottom) of the strop. If I start the flip as I'm nearing the top (or bottom) I'll nick the strop every time. It just takes practice..

I'll bear that in mind. I guess if you haven't stopped moving when you complete the flip then out comes a massive chunk. Feeling a bit more confident with all the reading and advice so cheers guys. Hopefully Thurs or Fri I'll do a good job of it and have a go at the hair I'm building up.

If you cut or nick the stop is it ruined?

Well yes and no you dont wanna strop over a chunck or ideally any sueface that.isnt consistant all the way through. If you do nick the strop look in the library there is a whole section devoted to strop repair

Place the strop on the edge of a table or counter and practice the flip slowly and deliberately, the flip is where the secret is for stropping..

Pay attention to the spine watch the spine the edge will follow along just fine...

Search the term "Stroptober" there is a ton of info in that thread

Like others have said before, if you are that nervous, practice with a butter knife and an old pair of jeans on the leg of course. Practice keeping it flat, and the roll. You want your arm like a piston, push forward then pull back, not pushing down and sliding, find a rythm you like, trying to go slow and deliberate activates the stabilizer muscles to override the larger ones, and causes the shaking in the hands that leads to a cut strop, or pressing down to compensate, that's when you will roll the edge.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Sanders83

Even flipping the razor on it's spine? I've seen a lot of videos where the guy just uses the weight of the blade and nothing else so I think that's what I'll do. And hold it by the tang too, holding by the handle sounds silly and doesn't surprise me that some handles break that way. Plus the hinge could move etc.

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If your timing is off a little bit, you'll flip the razor when it's moving in the wrong direction.

The correct timing requires that you start the flip (lifting the edge) with the razor moving in one direction, and finish the flip (setting the edge against the strop) with the razor moving in the other direction.

It's easy to say, and (believe me!) not so easy to do consistently. I haven't nicked my strop in a while, so it _can_ be practiced and learned.

. Charles

Sanders83, I'll offer an unconventional alternative to the excellent advice given here. Go to a thrift shop, buy about 5 of the rattiest looking leather belts that you can find. Make sure they are cheap. Then go to your kitchen and pick up the sharpest knife you have, or borrow a razor sharp knife. Now go outside in a safe area and securely lash the belts to a low horizontal branch of a tree. Finally start yelling as loud as you can: Mind the Spine, Mind the Spine....simultaneously hacking the hanging belts with your knife...shredding them. By the time this exercise is over I predict, when you return to razor and strop, you will be stropping with verve and style.

The best way to learn how to strop is to start stropping. All of the advice will help guide you, but just like the first time riding a bike, all of the best advice (pedal faster, steer straight) didn't prevent falling down, or crashing into a wall... And using training wheels really didn't help much either. Once they came off it was a whole different ball game. Same with razor stropping. You can practice with butter knives and old belts, but at some point you will have to try using an actual strop and folding razor, and that's when you will really learn. You may damage a few strops along the way, or not, and dull a razor. But that's just how it goes.

Keep in mind that most strops are narrower than you razor for a reason: it makes the X-pattern movement more natural, and I actually find it easier to use than a wider strop (some others disagree). A wide strop can easily be slightly convex or concave across, so that going back and forth, you won't cover the whole edge. Doing the x-pattern on a narrower strop covers the whole cutting edge.

Go slow, practice the flip and pay attention. Stropping is repetitive and it is easy to loose concentration as you are developing the skill. The Flip and inattention nick and cut strops, too much pressure ruins edges.

Too much pressure accounts for most problems associated with straight razors, stropping, honing and shaving.