I have my new Filly strop on the way in the mail. I'm new to straight shaving, and I don't understand how people cut their strops. I know you strop the razor spine first. So, how to newbies end up cutting their strops? I have been using my belt until it gets in the mail, and I haven't managed any cuts yet. I want to know the common cause, so I can avoid it when my new strop comes. Is it carelessness or the razor slipping?
How to people cut their strops?
- Thread starter Kyle Hyde
- Start date
It generally happens when flipping the razor at the end of the stroke. If you don't time the flip and the change in direction perfectly, you can nick it. It sounds like the simplest thing ever, but almost everyone screws it up at some point.
I have done it. I ruined a really nice strop when I first started using straights.
Call me stupid, call me uncoordinated ( I've been called worse ), but in my first couple of weeks of straighting , twice somehow I'd be stropping away and suddenly found I'm leading with the edge. Bad move, now have two big slices in the RHS of my strop. Just a beginners Brain Fart.
Have managed to pretty much fix with a bit of glue but it's still not the same.
Also have various nicks down the edges.
Just glad I did it on $20 Filly and not something more expensive.
I'm confident enough now that I think I'm ready to upgrade , just trying to work out the best one to get ( especially taking into account overseas shipping and the fact I'm not straighting EVERY shave ).
Have managed to pretty much fix with a bit of glue but it's still not the same.
Also have various nicks down the edges.
Just glad I did it on $20 Filly and not something more expensive.
I'm confident enough now that I think I'm ready to upgrade , just trying to work out the best one to get ( especially taking into account overseas shipping and the fact I'm not straighting EVERY shave ).
It doesn't happen when you first strop, and are being really careful.
It happens when you start to think you know what you're doing, and you speed up a bit.
nick.
Just wait and see, and you'll understand, because you WILL nick that strop.
I'd guess carelessness/being distracted. I was taking my shiny new dovo on a few laps on my shiny new strop, being as careful and slow as can be. My wife watches me and asks something to the effect of "do you have to go so slow?" I start to explain to her why I am going so slow and I caught myself as I pulled the razor blade first for a few millimeters. No damage to the strop as I was going so slow, but I could have easily nicked it.
Oh you'll find out
I still nick my strop but not during the stroke but when I stop and my hand slips a mm and gets an edge from a slight sway in the hand.
I still nick my strop but not during the stroke but when I stop and my hand slips a mm and gets an edge from a slight sway in the hand.
- Thread starter
- #9
So should we put bets on how many days it will take for me to nick it? 
I think nicking a strop is the easiest thing in the world. I thought there was no way I would nick mine, figured I'll just be careful, easy. The first time I put razor to strop I nicked it.
I am an idiot......
I am an idiot......
I definitely nicked mine in a couple places the first few times I stropped. When I stropped towards myself, as I flipped the blade to transition to an upwards stroke, I wasn't gentle or coordinated enough and the blade nicked the strop on the right side. I'm now trying to be more careful on the change...
New to str8s here and still learning.
So if you nick your strop...does that mean you can't strop it properly? Will a nicked strop affect your shave?
So if you nick your strop...does that mean you can't strop it properly? Will a nicked strop affect your shave?
It depends on the nick. Most are either harmless, or can easily be made harmless.
That!
I don't understand how you can NOT nick the strop. 8 months and still nick it every time. They're all just flesh wounds, though.
Well it will effect the edge if it is raised enough and may even dull it. Just trim the excess as close as possible and then just rub it down.
If you think your edge is damaged shine a bright light while the edge is facing you. If it is damaged it will reflect a light back.
- Thread starter
- #18
Just got my Filly today. Guess what. Just nicked it. It's a very tiny nick. What do I sand it down with?
Last edited:
If it's small just keep rubbing it down with your fingers. If you have nose hair trimmers just clip it off but this is depending one what is your interpretation of a very tiny nick.
word!
Similar threads
