I have been wet shaving my face with a straight razor for about a year now and just recently started shaving my head with a safety razor (dont want to scalp myself with a straight razor). The main thing I havent even been able to start to grasp is stroping my straight razor. How many times, what type of strope, how to tell if the razor is properly stroped.the only thing I can get a definite answer and understand of is which way to run the blade down the stripe. Does anybody have any advice on this topic.
A year in a still so many questions
- Thread starter Bjtrapjr
- Start date
I watched afew videos then went at it. For me it was difficult to learn to not put pressure at the edge. Using linen side is where I improved.i think anyhow. The feedback is something to learn to guage from. Some use a scope to see the edge. And find what is actually happening. I strop after honing and I have found improvement. Some say it's not necessary directly after honing. If your straight continues to shave well after many shaves and stropping sessions,I'd assume you're doing fine. Good luck.
- Thread starter
- #3
Get a packet of 3M non adhesive lapping films and hone them yourself.
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- #5
Any leather will do, they just all give different feedback. I can sometimes hear when my razor is done on the strop. Goes from a high pitch micro scraping sound to a smooth sound.
I would say that it is definitely necessary right after honing.
Dick peck is right with regards to how do you know if it is going well. If it still shaves well then you are doing fine.
How many times is different for different people. If you are stropping correctly, more will not hurt any. 60-80 probably around average. Some more, some less.
Hey @Bjtrapjr don't feel bad, for me too, stropping was the trickiest part of straight razor shaving.
Mostly because there's no way to say if you're doing it right or wrong as you're doing it, and most people don't have someone standing next to them to teach them how to do it properly and correct as we go.
Now when I look back at it, it's actually a lot easier than I made it out to be for myself.
Never lift the spine off the strop, and also resist the urge to use too much (downward) pressure. Initially, go super slow, don't worry about perfecting your technique flipping that razor over. If you have to stop at the end of the stroke, than take a sec. to flip, that's OK, good technique will come with time and practice. I have no experience with wedges, but with full hollow razors, you can also use the sound as your feedback, you will hear the difference between the move you execute correctly and the one you "missed". It's kinda hard to explain, but ... try doing a stropping move with your spine on the strop and edge lifted off the strop slightly (just for demonstration purposes) and then with what you consider a "proper movement" with spine on the strop and edge as well, and light pressure. You will be able to hear the difference of razor moving across the strop.
Mostly because there's no way to say if you're doing it right or wrong as you're doing it, and most people don't have someone standing next to them to teach them how to do it properly and correct as we go.
Now when I look back at it, it's actually a lot easier than I made it out to be for myself.
Never lift the spine off the strop, and also resist the urge to use too much (downward) pressure. Initially, go super slow, don't worry about perfecting your technique flipping that razor over. If you have to stop at the end of the stroke, than take a sec. to flip, that's OK, good technique will come with time and practice. I have no experience with wedges, but with full hollow razors, you can also use the sound as your feedback, you will hear the difference between the move you execute correctly and the one you "missed". It's kinda hard to explain, but ... try doing a stropping move with your spine on the strop and edge lifted off the strop slightly (just for demonstration purposes) and then with what you consider a "proper movement" with spine on the strop and edge as well, and light pressure. You will be able to hear the difference of razor moving across the strop.
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