Thread: How easy is it to dull razor with strop?

Is a paddle strop the type that's on a rigid wood paddle?-Gearhead

The Magpie Rule of Stropping.

"Put no more pressure on the leather than you would put against your face!"

You say you stropped on the felt... Is that felt pasted or treated in some way? Because that is only used for touching up when a razor starts to tug a little. (which I guess it IS doing now!)

Originally Posted by gearhead222

Is a paddle strop the type that's on a rigid wood paddle?-Gearhead

Yes sir it is

I recently had the chance to inspect a razor edge that wa damaged by stropping. Under a loupe the edge had little sparkles on it. I honed the razor and those spots went away.

When I watched the new guy using the strop I saw the problem. He was putting the blade down edge first. Also he lifted the spine during stropping.

IMO if you put the spine down first and don't lift it then you are okay. Otherwise the razor will need honing

Michael

Stropping is key because it must be done effectively between shaves to maintain a shave ready edge and it is unfeasible to send razors out for stropping between shaves. It is hard to learn to shave with a straight that is not shave ready because the correct use of the razor will not be rewarded by a close comfortable shave and a novice will not be able to know whether his problem is his razor or his technique (or both). I have been using a straight for about 9 months and do not consider myself to be proficient yet at stropping.

For me, at my level of proficiency, the shave test is the only certain way to judge an edge. I get to strop and retest my proficiency almost every day by shaving. What has worked best for me is using barely enough pressure to keep the spine and edge in light evenly distributed contact with my hanging strop. I keep my strop level at about elbow height. I do about 30 strokes on linen and 60 on the latigo leather, about one second or slightly less per pass. My edges are sharp enough to shave OK, but not as good as the edge fresh from a honemeister.

Tactile and audio feedback from the razor will help let you know when it is about ready, it will feel the same and sound the same in both directions and you will recognize the right feel and sound. I take care to rub my strop clean with my hand before use, or if it starts to feel gritty or otherwise "off" during use. I wipe my blade before using the unpasted strop. I try tree topping arm or chest hair to help judge razor readiness. If stropping is not working on the unpasted daily strop, I use a pasted bench strop for about 10 - 20 strokes then wipe and restrop on the unpasted strop, repeating this process if necessary.

Stropping poorly done can dull a shave ready edge and will at a minimum fail to keep the razor shave ready. Keep shaving and stropping and you will eventually be rewarded by a sharper edge and recognize the correct feel and sound for your razor. While learning, do not force a shave that is not going well, switch to a DE or other razor to finish the shave and allow time for your face to heal, if needed. Using a DE or other razor to finish while learning takes away anxiety by ensuring that the final result will be an acceptable shave. I find that the quality of my shaves using a straight and a DE backup is superior to using my DE alone. Keep the experience a fun adventure, and you will eventually acquire the needed skills.

HTH

Wow! If the correct pressure is how much I apply to my face, then I have been applying too much! FWIW, my felt has no paste on it and the leather has not been treated. FWIW, I have NOT been lifting the spine while stropping and have been VERY careful to put the blade spine down first and to lead the strop with the spine. Still not sure how to strop on a flat surface. Will definitely slow down on my strops and apply less pressure! At least I got the shaving bit down, as I only get 2-4 knicks and that's after 4 -5 passes! Thanx again all-Gearhead

Just have to think of straight razor shaving as a long journey that is its own reward.

You will get everything down and then some one will say something new and you off on a new tangent.

I will be happy now just learning how to strop correctly. Although I'm doing my homework concerning hone stones, that is way in the future for me-Gearhead

I'm no expert still a noob, but i also dulled razors on a hanging strop was never able to really master it after tons of practice videos and tips, so i switched to a paddle.Now i have no problems i guess it took some variables out of stropping now i c an just take my time and really concentrate on the passes and keeping the spine down at all times has made a huge difference now my razors don't dull as often and no more pulling..

Very interesting. Where did you get your paddle? FWIW, I shave with another razor that I stropped and the edge was fine. Again, I hope that the guys making stropping videos EMPHASIZE that you should not put any more pressure on the razor while stropping than you would when putting pressure to the razor on your face!-Gearhead