How Much Stropping Area Do You Use?

[OldSchoolYoungin]

I've been doing a lot of experimentation with stropping the past few months and one thing I've been testing are differences in the final edge compared to how much of the strop I am using. This came about after I heard Kenrup say that stropping in a smaller earlier actually provided a faster action than taking huge, long strokes all the way down the length of the strop.

I think he is correct

So far, I've found that stropping in an area no greater than around 12-14" or so provided better results than a larger stropping area. Speed; number of strokes; pressure, etc. were all (more or less) consistent during this test. I'm assuming this is one reason why old barbers' strops were so small; better results in a shorter amount of time.

Of course, this is all YMMV and everyone has different opinions on what's best for them. Just curious to know what peoples' stropping lengths are and if they've found a particular length that they like better...

 

[Calder]

I'm a beginner to the straight shaving world, but the entire leather portion of my strop is around 17 to 18 inches in total length. There is a VB stamped in the leather (Vintage Blades) and I do my best not to touch the letters.

That leaves me with about 13-15 inches of usable leather.

I wonder why the shorter length would be better though. Assuming everything else (pressure, angle, speed, ect..) is constant I would have guessed more time against the leather would put a more fine edge on the razor.

 

[Tony Miller]

I have found as well that longer is not especially better for strops. I am a tall guy with long arms and find that the 17" usable length, less the stamped logo to be more than enough and that is why I designed my strops that way.

I have made them longer and feel that they flex more and seem less stable side to side. Maybe this wasted motion (flex/sway) is taking away from the efficiency.

Even on more traditional Barber strops that are 24" long there is about 6" of handle, or area "wasted" in gripping the strop, so the effective length is still a bit less than 20".

Tony

 

[luvmysuper]

If true, perhaps it has to do with being able to maintain more consistent contact and pressure in a small repetitive motion than in a larger sweeping one, which would tend to change the whole dynamic of the stroke.

 

[leighton]

I use whatever length Tony's strops are minus the logo. Maybe a little less. Really don't care too much, just let the arm do its thing.

 

[Leche]

I use whatever length Tony's strops are minus the logo. Maybe a little less. Really don't care too much, just let the arm do its thing.

That's what I do.

 

[Tony Miller]

If true, perhaps it has to do with being able to maintain more consistent contact and pressure in a small repetitive motion than in a larger sweeping one, which would tend to change the whole dynamic of the stroke.

I am guessing that the further out you reach the less precise the angle/pressure you are applying and things may get a little sloppier at the far end of the stroke, or even the near end if you have to hold it to one side instead of in front of you.

Tony

 

[domino]

This thread has helped to improve my stropping immensely,
Thank you guys........

 

[SiBurning]

About 30 square feet on average, but anywhere from 20 - 50.

That's 2" wide by 18" long, both directions, 60 strokes. Maybe cut the length to 12" if I'm tired or lazy, and sometimes it's as much as 100 strokes.

Hey, it's my 1000th post, so I'm thinking numerically. Or maybe it means I talk too much.

 

[OldSchoolYoungin]

Here's a video where Ken goes a little into what I was talking about at 1:30 or so...

BTW, I find it weird the Ken looks and sounds like my father did

[YOUTUBE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6b20qwEj_5c[/YOUTUBE]