Strop-aholic?

[JPM]

Hi, my name is John and it's been 2 hours and 38 minutes since my last stropping...

I just started straight razor shaving and was pretty nervous about learning how to strop. I'm working on my technique and now find myself stropping my razor 2 or 3 times a day. Every now and then I think, another 60 or 70 strokes won't hurt. I find it oddly relaxing.

Anyone else have this experience, or am I just a bit more odd than I already thought I was?

 

[ambrose]

Im a bit of a nut myself, I like to wait until the razor tells me when its ready.

 

[Seraphim]

Hi, my name is John and it's been 2 hours and 38 minutes since my last stropping...

I just started straight razor shaving and was pretty nervous about learning how to strop. I'm working on my technique and now find myself stropping my razor 2 or 3 times a day. Every now and then I think, another 60 or 70 strokes won't hurt. I find it oddly relaxing.

Anyone else have this experience, or am I just a bit more odd than I already thought I was?

Yup.

I used to do that when I fist started as well.



As the urge to strop everytime you pass by the bathroom subsides, it will be replaced with a gnawing hunger to go out and purchase more strops upon which to strop.

 

[ambrose]

+1 then you start making your own as well

 

[JPM]

Yup.

I used to do that when I fist started as well.



As the urge to strop everytime you pass by the bathroom subsides, it will be replaced with a gnawing hunger to go out and purchase more strops upon which to strop.

Tell me about it! I have one from Straight Razor Designs and a Tony Miller on the way plus the practice strop. Another AD to feed.

 

[Tom Ford]

Yup, while I'm watching TV I'll break out the strop and away I go. I'll sit there for an hour and strop....I find it meditative (is that a word? )

I thought it may have been a newbie thing, I've only been straight shaving for two weeks? Perhaps I was wrong?

 

[rickboone1]

I was just thinking about this.

Can you over-strop?

I take my strop and lie it flat sometimes to force me to have the correct angles and pressure when stropping. I find I strop much slower versus hanging. I am slower by far to the videos I've seen. My question is; provided you know what you are doing, does the speed help anything? Perhaps with the friction? And, if it does, is stropping slowly ineffective?

Back to the original topic, it is quite relaxing. I got a balsa strop and find myself wanting to use it more and more. Gosh, I hope the honing bug doesn't hit.

 

[gollum83]

Im a bit of a nut myself, I like to wait until the razor tells me when its ready.

Your razors talk you?

Can you over-strop?

Unless it's pasted, I don't believe so. But then again pasted strop or paddle going to essentially act as a fine hone, so it's probably more appropriate to say you can overhone on a pasted surface of some sort.

 

[ambrose]

Oh yes, first they whine and cry then they give in and fix themselves back up

 

[JPM]

Oh yes, first they whine and cry then they give in and fix themselves back up

Too funny! By the way, I saw some of your razors over on the Vendor's Corner. They looked beautiful. Getting anymore to sell, or are you unable to part with your babies?

 

[ambrose]

and the scary thing is its mostly ture

I need the holiday money so Ill try and post something nice tomorrow.

I dont have that many babies believe it or not but the ones I do have are a few select pieces.

Pick one, german or english steel, hollow or near wedge? The one you choose is what ill post I cant decide

 

[JPM]

and the scary thing is its mostly ture

I need the holiday money so Ill try and post something nice tomorrow.

I dont have that many babies believe it or not but the ones I do have are a few select pieces.

Pick one, german or english steel, hollow or near wedge? The one you choose is what ill post I cant decide

How about german hollow?

 

[ambrose]

My fav will do Ill try and have something nice up tomorrow for you guys to check out

now back on topic yes oh yes we like to do the strop a do be bop you cant stop the strop until that harm hair pops.

 

[doleeo]

Yup.

I used to do that when I fist started as well.



As the urge to strop everytime you pass by the bathroom subsides, it will be replaced with a gnawing hunger to go out and purchase more strops upon which to strop.

That is so true...just a couple days ago I decided I needed a Tony Miller horsehide/linen to go with my TM latigo/cotton.... and those Hand American strops look and sound awfully nice...

 

[richmondesi]

Rick, I've heard some discussion about slowly stropping being counter productive, but I don't think it was on B&B. You don't want to be in a huge hurry, but you want to have a fair pace.

Personally, I think the answer to can you over strop is both yes and no depending on what you are doing. There are so many variables that come into play with an edge that fine.

Hope this helps.

 

[leighton]

I was just thinking about this.

Can you over-strop?

I take my strop and lie it flat sometimes to force me to have the correct angles and pressure when stropping. I find I strop much slower versus hanging. I am slower by far to the videos I've seen. My question is; provided you know what you are doing, does the speed help anything? Perhaps with the friction? And, if it does, is stropping slowly ineffective?

Back to the original topic, it is quite relaxing. I got a balsa strop and find myself wanting to use it more and more. Gosh, I hope the honing bug doesn't hit.

As long as your stropping properly your arm muscles will become exhausted before you even come near to causing any permanent damage to the razor. And permanent damage would be the miniscule amount of metal your removing. I hesitate to say that because the amount is so negligible it probably can't be measured, which means it might not even be removed.... conspiracies abound!!!!

 

[Seraphim]

and the scary thing is its mostly ture

I need the holiday money so Ill try and post something nice tomorrow.

I dont have that many babies believe it or not but the ones I do have are a few select pieces.

Pick one, german or english steel, hollow or near wedge? The one you choose is what ill post I cant decide

If the only razor you kept was that 8/8 Henckels, you would still be a happy man!

 

[ambrose]

Im quite happy with it She is a looker and a shaver thats for sure. The only thing is that Ive been itching for a filly a barbas duras. I actually missed out on one a while back. So I had to get something to heal the hurt and I found that henckles. I just posted a SOTD in that thread to further entice you.

 

[huntmol]

Yep, I love to strop! Sometimes I strop just for the fun of it, it is a very relaxing process

 

[JPM]

Yep, I love to strop! Sometimes I strop just for the fun of it, it is a very relaxing process

It is kind of a lousy night here, rainy and cold and I didn't have anything to do. I think I'm on my fourth time doing 20 strokes on the cloth and 60 on the leather. Each time I tell myself that's the last time for the nigh.