Thread: Mastro Livi loom Strop

Originally Posted by Utopian

The thing about the "Livi way of stropping" is that is not the way that he teaches stropping. In his teaching series of videos, he demonstrates a much more standard stropping method which includes keeping the spine on the strop at all times and rolling over the spine.

This suggests to me that this is a case of "do as I say, not as I do."

Do you have a link?

The couple teaching videos of his I've seen show his idiosyncratic x-stroke only.

I cannot find the particular video I remember, but here is one with his loom strop. He (and I) advocates an x-stroke on the strop and the video that I saw included that. The video I recall had him leaving the spine on the strop but the one below does not. This one is closer to his standard slapping, but slowly with control.

After two weeks using the Loom, it's obvious to me that either my stropping technique was not the best in the world, or the Livi Loom is an extraordinary strop. The blades are sharper and the shaves are smoother. I'll return to my Kanayama strop sometime to see if I can up my stropping game. I can't tell when that time will be-I'm enjoying my Loom stropped shaves too much.

You are NOT helping the fact that I passed on a great deal on a Livi strop in the classifieds a few days ago. However, I'm glad for you that you are getting great edges. Stropping is critical to great shaves!

Now that I've had my small Livi loom for maybe 6 weeks or a little more, I have basically relegated it to weekends as I have managed to cut it up at the far end more than I would like to admit.

I find the CrOx side to be the most helpful by far. I think in the long run I will likely just use that side and continue to use my Walkin' Horse hanging strop for daily use.

If I had to do it all again, knowing what I know now -- I would either not buy the strop (but maybe feed the SAD by getting another hanging strop) or I would get the medium, so that if I did cut the ends, there would still be a lot of strop left to use.

For me at least, the small turned out not to be a good choice.

You have cut your Livi strop a few times, but have you been cutting any of your other strops?

I've been using my small version exclusively for the past couple of weeks.

I've refreshed a couple of edges on the CrOx side and the leather has done duty replacing my locally produced hanging strop. I've slowed down substantially when I strop on the Livi and it still looks as good as new (and long may it last).

Yes, the medium would have been ideal but no use crying over spilt milk.

Originally Posted by Utopian

You have cut your Livi strop a few times, but have you been cutting any of your other strops?

Turns out I don't cut my hanging strop. I have scuffed the near end of it a bit due to bad technique in the past.

Do you have any idea why you cut the loom strop and not the hangers?

I found if the strop is horizontal there is a better chance to cut it. I found angling it either front or handle up makes it easier. Lynn has a stropping video showing him using the Livi strop. Before you use the razor, try finding the right angle using a butter knife so you don't damage your strop. It is a different technique then a hanging strop. I use an X stroke but different then the Livi. I start at the top and keep the blade perpendicular to the strop and as I come down the strop I gradually move the blade toward me. When I get to the bottom of the strop there is about one inch of the blade on the strop. This keeps the blade from rolling and makes sure all of the edge has been on the strop.