Stropservation...

[Woodash]

I recently saw a video from someone over there at the Evil Empire who seemed to be stropping the begeezus out of a freshly-honed razor. I've always used pretty light pressure at this, so I thought I've give a go to a bit more weight. On a razor I shaved with the day before, I gave ~30 laps on TM linen followed by ~50 on horse with no slack in the strop, but some fairly 'aggressive' stropping. Dang if it didn't whoop that thing into better shape than I've had from 'normal' stropping before.

Pressure? Light touch? Yay/nay?

 

[jkh]

Steve, my experiences directly mirror yours.

This video totally changed my views on stropping. Before this video I thought 1mm of flex in the strop or an nanogram of pressure would roll and edge - ever since I strop with reckless abandon (and have had no issues with edge longevity, actually longevity has improved).

 

[Doc226]

That gent seems to know what he is doing, but it against everything I have learned. Strop too loose, he is lifting the spine off the strop, he is slapping the razor.

I am not doing it that way.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/embed/9ssDkAH2kV0?wmode=opaque[/video]

 

[Woodash]

Steve, my experiences directly mirror yours.

This video totally changed my views on stropping. Before this video I thought 1mm of flex in the strop or an nanogram of pressure would roll and edge - ever since I strop with reckless abandon (and have had no issues with edge longevity, actually longevity has improved).

Yessir, Jeremy - looks like you'll be stropping with reckless abandon 6x per day, now, huh?

 

[jkh]

That gent seems to know what he is doing, but it against everything I have learned. Strop too loose, he is lifting the spine off the strop, he is slapping the razor.

I am not doing it that way.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/embed/9ssDkAH2kV0?wmode=opaque[/video]

Yeah, I am not advocating this video shows "correct" or "good" stropping (whatever that is), but Liam is a barber and I assume if he was wiping the edge off the blade he probably wouldn't stay in business. Doesn't matter, after seeing this video I quit going about stropping with "kid gloves" and it really improved things for me tremendously.

Nice video. I did notice that you turn your wrist quite a bit when flipping the razor, which is exactly what I do too, and that flies in the face of conventional stropping techniques. I tried for a very long time not turn my wrist because "it was wrong", but it just didn't work for me.

Yessir, Jeremy - looks like you'll be stropping with reckless abandon 6x per day, now, huh?

Life sucks, don't it?

 

[Doc226]

Nice video. I did notice that you turn your wrist quite a bit when flipping the razor, which is exactly what I do too, and that flies in the face of conventional stropping techniques. I tried for a very long time not turn my wrist because "it was wrong", but it just didn't work for me.

I find it easier than flipping the blade, less chance of cutting the strop-for me. I nicked my first strop (larry's sight unseen deal) while flipping the razor, since then I have learned to strop by rolling the wrist. The right way is whatever way works for you.

 

[Kentos]

I find less tension on the strop reduces draw on latigo, and more pressure and faster cadence on TM linen does wonders. On leather I find I use more pressure than the weight of the blade for sure.

 

[Obiwan]

+1
i had white knuckles while stropping for almost a year until playing with the tension. A little give seems to help me a bit on leather.

Bonus points for working "evil empire" into OP.

 

[LarryAndro]

Dulling the edge of a straight razor is a big worry on these threads. And, of course, if you allow too much sag you can dull your edge. In my opinion, many who think they "rolled their edge" on strops - dulling them during stropping, have actually just understropped and the blade has not been returned to shave readiness.

 

[Woodash]

I hear you Larry, but just for the record, I personally don't advocate sag in the strop, but I have found that more pressure has worked surprisingly well for me.

How are things with you, btw?

 

[LarryAndro]

I hear you Larry, but just for the record, I personally don't advocate sag in the strop, but I have found that more pressure has worked surprisingly well for me. How are things with you, btw?

Yes, I understand. I was more replying to a general audience than to your initial comments, and should have been more clear.

Things are going well for me and wife. Son had layover in airport yesterday, and go to see him. Thanks for asking.

 

[brother cavefish]

That gent seems to know what he is doing, but it against everything I have learned. Strop too loose, he is lifting the spine off the strop, he is slapping the razor.

I am not doing it that way.

[video]http://www.youtube.com/embed/9ssDkAH2kV0?wmode=opaque[/video]

it does look very slack,

 

[Doc226]

it does look very slack,

If you think I have slack on this video, won should take a look on post # 2

 

[brother cavefish]

If you think I have slack on this video, won should take a look on post # 2

thats what i was referring to , i have no idea how you do it ---------i was just "2nd,ing" your opinion

 

[Doc226]

thats what i was referring to , i have no idea how you do it ---------i was just "2nd,ing" your opinion

That's me on post #3

 

[Seraphim]

Someone once said that you must strop with some "authority".

I like that description.

The theory that is often put forth that you must float your razor along your strop, with only the razor's weight applied is not at all how I do it. I like applying some force to the issue, seems to work out pretty well. I had that epiphany a couple of years ago and haven't looked back.

But what do I know? I'm just a guy who makes semi-erotic strop videos.

 

[Doc226]

But what do I know? I'm just a guy who makes semi-erotic strop videos.

Boom-Chikki-Boom-Boom

 

[Brownbear]

When I first started shaving w a straight I was paranoid about "rolling" the edge. I thought I had when my first Whipped Dog blade started pulling after a few shaves. Now 500 shaves or so later I have a different opinion. Once I got decent at stropping and honing I got more experimental and tried a wild combination of sag and pressure on blades. I have a good HHT so I can tell pretty quickly what stropping does to an edge. My opinion is that, as long as you don't raise the spine off the leather, it is impossible to "roll" an edge by stropping. I tried what I thought was extreme sag, a couple inches or so and still didn't have a negative effect on the edge. I tried very light strokes and absurdly heavy, no difference. I suppose if you got silly you could put so much sag in a strop and push so hard it would be akin to lifting the spine, but you'd have to try.

I've concluded that it is nearly impossible to roll and edge by stropping unless your technique is absurdly bad. Any sag from zero to over an inch or two doesn't seem to make any difference. I do like to press quite a bit as it seems to speed things up. But when all is said and done, it is more a matter of how many strokes a given combination of steel and leather need, pretty much any reasonable technique gets you there.

I think that I dulled the first edge so quickly with too high an angle and generally bad shaving technique, the stopping was irrelevant to that. It does take some practice to stop knicking the damn thing though....

 

[Lexbomb]

I always used to pull my TM very taught but I just tried giving it a little slack and I must say it actually made a difference! Thank you, you just converted my to a slacker!

 

[Cochese2323]

When I started out, I stropped like a little girl too. Was so afraid of rolling the edge or jacking up my strop. I actually sent my professionally honed razor out to a honemeister to rehone it after like 3 shaves. (obviously wasn't my shaving technique or stropping)

Finally figured out after a month or so that my strop was a little cupped and I just need to show my razor who is boss on the strop.