Proper pressure on razor while stropping

[leighton]

Great advice here for a newbie like me. And here's one final question for the fray.

I now have a practice strop that has quite a few battle scars on it. I can see that I'm slowly getting better, as I haven't added any new cuts for at least a few days, but I am still using the same injured strop.

So here's the question -- does continuing to strop with a cut up piece of leather impair the stropping process or dull the blade? More specifically, what about those little flaps and grooves in the leather -- doesn't that create a bump or discontinuity that would affect the stropping? Or should I not worry about it? Thanks.

Its fine. Just cut off the flaps so the blade doesn't catch on them.

 

[JeffE]

Thanks for the help. Already feeling the effects of better stropping on my shaving routine!

 

[JPM]

I'm stropping for the first time today. Glad I saw this thread first.

 

[Engine]

I'm still waiting for my Filly strop (& Gold Dollar). It's been 2.5 weeks since I ordered it, so I don't know if that's a normal wait period, or if this is standard during the holidays, or what... At this point I'm tempted to buy a Tony Miller Latigo & practice strop just so I have some.

Edit: Nevermind, it's a backorder issue with the razors themselves and will be resolved soon.

Of course, I also do have three raw suede hides I could strop on in the meantime... Hrmmmmm, should've thought of that.

 

[Gryphes]

Very helpful thread for a beginning straight shaver like myself.

 

[ouch]

Torque is as important as pressure- you don't want to twist the razor as you strop. Keep it flat, and don't twist it so that the edge digs into the leather.

 

[Woodash]

Torque is as important as pressure- you don't want to twist the razor as you strop. Keep it flat, and don't twist it so that the edge digs into the leather.

+1. I have found that too much pressure on the edge was also one of the main causes of nicks in the strop in my case. It really exacerbates the whole premature flipping thing.

Now that I think about it, maybe the secret is to keep the strop slightly less taut....