Stropping tips

[The Cutthroat]

so I have my first strop and it’s a bit thinner than the width of my razor but I kinda know how to strop and flip it on it’s spine so I can do the x patten

However my real question is

When stropping do I just run the blade flat or do I apply pressure toward the strop. Because I’m worried about rolling the edge


Also ...


how many laps (1 pass back and forth ) should I do?

Should I use stropping compound ?

What is the canvas piece for that is behind my leather strip?

How often do I strop ?

 

[Clay S]

so I have my first strop and it’s a bit thinner than the width of my razor but I kinda know how to strop and flip it on it’s spine so I can do the x patten

However my real question is

When stropping do I just run the blade flat or do I apply pressure toward the strop. Because I’m worried about rolling the edge


Also ...


how many laps (1 pass back and forth ) should I do?

Should I use stropping compound ?

What is the canvas piece for that is behind my leather strip?

How often do I strop ?

You apply some pressure toward the strop, but concentrated at the spine, not the edge.

NO compound. use it on balsam or dedicated strops for it.



Strop before every shave, some do afterwards as well

20 laps up to 100 or more. varies greatly

 

[stone and strop]

The canvas is used for cleaning burrs after honing, for the most part. Not for day to day care generally.

The linen is not used to clean burrs off after honing. If you have burrs or a fin edge after honing your edge will not last at all.
It is recommended to use the linen every time prior to leather to clean and warm the edge before leather finishing.
It is NOT recommended to use it after honing a razor but rather every time after that. A freshly honed edge should not go to linen. Some still do though.
It has a very mild abrasive effect as well.
I almost never use it. When the edge starts to drop off a bit then use it before the leather, then leather alone again till it starts to drop off again.
Some use the linen every time before leather.

 

[Clay S]

Removed errant entry from my remarks

 

[stone and strop]

 

[Alum of Potash]

It is recommended to use the linen every time prior to leather to clean and warm the edge before leather finishing.
It is NOT recommended to use it after honing a razor but rather every time after that. A freshly honed edge should not go to linen. Some still do though.

Paul, I'm curious about your source here. Is it the Barber's manual you often mention?

 

[stone and strop]

You know it Alan!
"When the razor is freshly honed, it should be finished on the leather only. Subsequently, it is advisable to use the canvas first, then the leather, each time the razor is stropped"
Funny, another part states "The viewpoint is accepted by barbers that the leather strop is indispensable, where the canvas may or may not be necessary, depending on the individuals co-ordination of hone and strop. With some types of hones, however, the canvas is considered to be necessary"
I assume it means for cotis as some people feel it really helps. I do not use it with my coti though...no need.

 

[Alum of Potash]

Thanks a lot Paul.

 

[Twelvefret]

I’ve followed the advice given by @stone and strop.

I now use a short, slow intentional stroke and keep the strop taut. I use very little pressure.

After honing I might do 50 laps. After shaving around 10 on linen and 10 on leather. I got this idea from and old Torrey ad.

 

[stone and strop]

I’ve followed the advice given by @stone and strop.

I now use a short, slow intentional stroke and keep the strop taut. I use very little pressure.

After honing I might do 50 laps. After shaving around 10 on linen and 10 on leather. I got this idea from and old Torrey ad.

Sorry Twelvefret but just to be clear, I do not recommend a short stroke for stropping. I'm not sure why people do this. Use the whole strop.

 

[Twelvefret]

Sorry Twelvefret but I do not recommend a short stroke for stropping. I'm not sure why people do this. use the whole strop.

Sorry, wasn't clear. I use linen and horse hide post shave and horse hide only after honing.

 

[Rugger007]

You definitely need to strop after every shave. Personally I use linen (firehose) and leather after honing and shaving, it works for me and that’s all that matters. Try different things out and see what works best for you. Pressure is a subjective thing, I use pressure, nothing crazy but I want good contact and control of my razor on my strop. This weight of the razor business is nonsense IMO, maintaining proper technique and control are going to give you success not worrying about using a butterfly’s weight and having no control.

As for rolling an edge, think of things in terms of “pushing” and “drawing” the spine of the razor along the strop. If you “push“ the spine away from you or “draw” the spine towards you focusing solely on the spine, regardless of how much slack is in your strop the edge will always lay flat on the leather. Your focus needs to be on the spine and not the edge. If you focus on the edge your going to inadvertently lift the spine and roll your edge.

Pastes, if your going to use them belong on anything other than your strop. Also make sure if they are used that you thoroughly clean the razor prior to using your strop.

Number of laps - use what you feel is necessary to get the job done. You can always add more if you need. I use 25 linen and 50 leather.

 

[kohalajohn]

Before each shave I grab the strop at the top and slightly curling my hand, I slide my hand down to the bottom. That gives it a slight amount of oil from my skin and that's enough to maintain the leather. And the curling gesture prevents it from going concave, or cupping.

If there is hardware at the bottom of the strop i hold it just above the hardware, again so my grip will induce a slight convex bend in the strop. When I make a strop I put no hardware at the bottom, for this reason.

I strop forty laps, a lap being one up and one back down again.

When changing direction, turn it so the edge goes up in the air and over. Otherwise, you'll eventually bang the edge when flipping it. Be gentle with the edge when placing it back down. Place it down while it's already starting to move.

At first I go very light and carefully, taking care when changing directions, so as not to bang the edge down aggressively. When I get a rhythm going, I speed up and the last twenty or thirty laps are pretty quick. Still with light pressure. There has to be some pressure, just not a lot.

Have fun.

 

[duke762]

The linen is not used to clean burrs off after honing. If you have burrs or a fin edge after honing your edge will not last at all.
It is recommended to use the linen every time prior to leather to clean and warm the edge before leather finishing.
It is NOT recommended to use it after honing a razor but rather every time after that. A freshly honed edge should not go to linen. Some still do though.
It has a very mild abrasive effect as well.
I almost never use it. When the edge starts to drop off a bit then use it before the leather, then leather alone again till it starts to drop off again.
Some use the linen every time before leather.

I pulled the trigger on my very first strop 5 minutes ago and sat down to write a post on when and what the linen is used for. 2 minutes later my question is answered before I ask it....I love this forum! Thank you!

 

[Tony Miller]

The use of the cloth component (typically called linen no matter what fiber it actually is) has always been up for debate....it warms the edge, it cleans the edge, it removes the burr, it actually sharpens, etc... This has been debated a lot over all the years I have been doing this. Most do agree it is needed and do use it before each shave and before the leather. A freshly honed razor probably does not need to go to linen provided you honed properly and have no burr.

These are many people though who feel real flax linen does work well right after coming off of a coticule and some who see no advantage at all. I have better luck with the real thing over cotton but do feel it is important to use a cloth component first. I do feel the average beginner is not going to see a huge difference between real flax linen and the cotton and polyester cloth commonly used. To me the texture of the cloth is also an important consideration, not just the fiber it was woven from.

 

[steveclarkus]

Since I strop on .1u diamond pasted balsa prior to leather I never use linen.