Holding Razor While Stropping

[Frank Shaves]

I wasn't able to find much about this topic.

Now that I have been using a traditional straight for almost five months, the hinge pins on some of my razors are beginning to loosen up, especially the pin on one of my first straights - a Dovo Carre whose pin was on the looser side when I bought the razor new. While stropping, I try to primarily hold the razor by the blade and only gently wrap my fingers around the scales to avoid putting pressure on the hinge pin, but I feel like I am still putting too much pressure on the hinge pin and possibly contributing to the pin loosening up. I should also add that I try to be very careful about not getting water on the hinge pin when shaving and honing.

Does anyone have any insight into how to hold the razor while stropping to avoid putting pressure on the hinge pin, as well as any other general guidance about hinge pins?

 

[stone and strop]

A loose pin will make stropping unpleasant and more difficult.
It can be easily tightened.
I hold the blade about 1/4" behind the heel on the shank top and bottom, not side.
When driving forward the thumb rides almost on the top corner and when flipped coming the other way the thumb is on the side toward the opposite top corner.

 

[bluesman 7]

The pin can be tightened up easily.

If you are worried about doing it, you can tape the scale open at 180° while you are stropping to see if that helps you.

 

[Alum of Potash]

When I started out, I gripped the shank from top to bottom with my thumb and forefinger and rolled the shank with my fingers during the flip. In this way, the thumb was at the top of the shank during one pass and at the bottom during the next. The result was that I did not have enough control over the razor which led to the occasional mysterious nick. After consultation with a seasoned veteran of straight-razor use, I began holding the bottom of the shank more towards the top side* with my thumb and the top of the shank with my forefinger for the first pass, maintaining this position and slightly turning my wrist during the flip while gliding my thumb at the bottom of the shank towards the resulting new top side for the return pass.* The result was no more mysterious nicks as I was more in control of the pass. Not that this is necessarily putting less pressure on the hinge, however.

*I think this is what Stone and Strop is also referring to when he writes "almost on the top corner" and "toward the opposite top corner," but I could be mistaken. Like him, I also hold the shank around a quarter of an inch from the heel, maybe a little bit further away at times. Holding it closer to the heel would move your fingers away from the hinge pin if that helps. I just do what feels right for me, and I suppose that some of this has to do with the weight and balance of the blade and scales.

 

[Scarry Knight]

I wrap my handle and blade thusly, with a section of barber’s SaNeck neck strip, to provide some rigidity. It works for loose pinned scales, but I do this more for a secure grip with the floppiness, having a little neuropathy to deal with.

You can wrap loose so you have some
Blade movement, or tighter, as needed. Until you sort the pinning out if needed.

 

[stone and strop]

When I started out, I gripped the shank from top to bottom with my thumb and forefinger and rolled the shank with my fingers during the flip. In this way, the thumb was at the top of the shank during one pass and at the bottom during the next. The result was that I did not have enough control over the razor which led to the occasional mysterious nick. After consultation with a seasoned veteran of straight-razor use, I began holding the bottom of the shank more towards the top side* with my thumb and the top of the shank with my forefinger for the first pass, maintaining this position and slightly turning my wrist during the flip while gliding my thumb at the bottom of the shank towards the resulting new top side for the return pass.* The result was no more mysterious nicks as I was more in control of the pass. Not that this is necessarily putting less pressure on the hinge, however.

*I think this is what Stone and Strop is also referring to when he writes "almost on the top corner" and "toward the opposite top corner," but I could be mistaken. Like him, I also hold the shank around a quarter of an inch from the heel, maybe a little bit further away at times. Holding it closer to the heel would move your fingers away from the hinge pin if that helps. I just do what feels right for me, and I suppose that some of this has to do with the weight and balance of the blade and scales.

Yes, thank you Alan. I believe we are talking the same thing.

 

[Alum of Potash]

Yes, thank you Alan. I believe we are talking the same thing.

You're welcome Paul. Good to have confirmation of this.

 

[Frank Shaves]

Thanks for the ideas! I went back and tried to critique what I have been doing, and it seems like I have been trying to press the entire blade against the leather, including the spine, so I spent a little time trying to move the razor up and down the leather with little to zero pressure on the razor using a more relaxed grip, and (voila) no pressure on the hinge pin. I will next focus on trying to gradually apply a small amount of pressure to the edge without tightening my grip on the razor - and watch some more stropping videos - I remember watching some good ones from @Doc226 and Jarrod at TSS.

And I am going to try tightening the pin in an old beater razor using a tablespoon. Then I may invest in a ball peen or chasing hammer, and jewelry anvil.

 

[Frank Shaves]

That was so easy. I used an old, heavy tablespoon and hammer, and practiced tightening the pin on an old razor.

Should I leave the razor closed or open the razor when tightening the pin?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bluesman 7]

I always do it with the razor closed, but open the razor to 270° often to check the tightness. Most razors are made to be tighter with the razor open which is desirable IMO.

 

[Frank Shaves]

I made a bunch of progress by watching and emulating a few videos. I had been trying to control the razor with the fulcrum formed by my thumb and index finger, and what I found was that I have more control if I spread the control across all of of my fingers in a relaxed fashion. The change felt counterintuitive at first but with a little practice I have gained more control and speed. I also spent time practicing air stropping, different types of strokes (short to long, zero to mild pressure, and different parts of the strop), and different rhythms.