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What happens to the blade with bad strop technique?

Howdy. I'm new to straight razors, and I'm actually still waiting for my strop to arrive. So I've learned from videos that you roll over the spine when changing directions on your strop and you don't apply pressure. So my questions are:

1.) What happens to the blade if you do like they do on TV shows and change directions not on the spine side but on the edge side? You know the TV version of stropping a blade, that fast wisk wisk wisk wisk wisk with the blade being snapped up in the air when they change directions.

2.) And what happens if you apply some pressure when stropping the razor?
 
Changing direction with the blade on the strop will lead to a nick or slice on the strop :nono:. Never do what you see on TV, it's all wrong (like holding the razor 90 to the face!)
 
If you rotate the blade on the edge side you'll very soon be waiting for your second strop to arrive. I believe too much pressure on the strop can lead to "rolling the edge" which would basically be just what it says and bend that nice sharp edge over just enough to dull it instead of lining the edge back up as intended.
 
I always rotate the blade on the edge side, I just don't touch the edge. I can't even imagine doing it the way that seems to be commonly considered as canonic. It seems very inefficient. I have dinged some strop, but always by doing something stupid. Not actually stropping tv-barbershop style.
 
I always rotate the blade on the edge side, I just don't touch the edge. I can't even imagine doing it the way that seems to be commonly considered as canonic. It seems very inefficient. I have dinged some strop, but always by doing something stupid. Not actually stropping tv-barbershop style.
My guess is one risks holding the blade in contact with the strop as one rolls it over to go the other direction and by doing so harming or dulling the edge. I suppose if one is careful and lifts the blade before changing directions, without sort of "flicking" the edge around while it's still in contact with the leather, everything would be fine. I'm guessing that "flicking" (I don't know if there is an actual word for this move) damages or dulls the edge. I've only done some palm stropping so far as I wait for my strop in the mail. I'm kind of excited to get going on the straight razor adventure. Not sure if I should be giddy at my age. :)
 
My guess is one risks holding the blade in contact with the strop as one rolls it over to go the other direction and by doing so harming or dulling the edge. I suppose if one is careful and lifts the blade before changing directions, without sort of "flicking" the edge around while it's still in contact with the leather, everything would be fine. I'm guessing that "flicking" (I don't know if there is an actual word for this move) damages or dulls the edge. I've only done some palm stropping so far as I wait for my strop in the mail. I'm kind of excited to get going on the straight razor adventure. Not sure if I should be giddy at my age. :)

You are right about that.

The correct way of stropping, and honing for that matter, is that the spine is the first part to make contact with the surface , and the last part to leave the surface.

If you change direction without rolling on the spine, you risk making contact with the edge first. What happens then is that your contact angle is wrong, you risk rolling the very delicate edge. Razors are made, very cleverly, with a built in honing guide, as long as they are flat on the contact surface.

As far as pressure goes - we all make the initial mistake to apply too much, as common sense tells us that the more the pressure the more the friction, the better the job. Razor edges are very delicate, less is better. For stropping, you risk developing a sag or bow in the strop that can round your edge. When you hone with excessive pressure the blade deforms and the edge can actually lift off the hone, so you are honing the metal behind the edge, resulting in a fin edge. That's bad and will lead to a razor being sharp when you start shaving, but half way through will be folded over in enough places not to shave anymore.
 
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You are right about that.

The correct way of stropping, and honing for that matter, is that the spine is the first part to make contact with the surface , and the last part to leave the surface.

If you change direction without rolling on the spine, you risk making contact with the edge first. What happens then is that your contact angle is wrong, you risk rolling the very delicate edge. Razors are made, very cleverly, with a built in honing guide, as long as they are flat on the contact surface.

As far as pressure goes - we all make the initial mistake to apply too much, as common sense tells us that the more the pressure the more the friction, the better the job. Razor edges are very delicate, less is better. For stropping, you risk developing a sag or bow in the strop that can round your edge. When you hone with excessive pressure the blade deforms and the edge can actually lift off the hone, so you are honing the metal behind the edge, resulting in a fin edge. That's bad and will lead to a razor being sharp when you start shaving, but half way through will be folded over in enough places not to shave anymore.
Thank you.
 
Things get messed up.

Notice that very little people use proper technique, your wrist shouldn't turn.
Many youtubers do it wrong, and that's ok, but it's easier to ruin things this way.

You "should" flip the razor between your fingers, like you would a volume knob.
Wrist position doesn't change. Ever since learning proper technique, I've never knicked or cut a strop.
But there's also some timing you need to learn when at the end of the stroke and how to turn your razor.
If you turn your razor while still going into a forward motion with the spine leading, you'll plant your edge into the strop. Just make sure while flipping that the edge is always trailing when it lands on the strop.


Proper stropping technique
 
I personally just pull the strop towards me nice and tight then give it 50 very light laps with the spine and edge flat to the strop. I hold it by the tang between finger and thumb and this lets you flip the blade over rather than under. Takes a bit of getting used to but I’ve never cut a strop doing it.
I can’t say what happens to the edge with strong pressure as I’ve never used pressure. It would be interesting to see microscopic photos of before and after but that edge is so delicate, so fine, that I’d be surprised if it could survive much, if any, aggressive stropping and still shave well.
the more you push into leather the flatter it ain’t.
If your strop is 3inches wide it’s easier to use but if it’s less then you’d have learn to use x strokes. It’s no big deal but again, takes a little getting used to.
I’m sure you’ll do fine, might even get to like it and in no time it’ll become a staple in your daily routine.
Best of luck your gonna have fun👍
 
@jason12768, that's a very good description and video. One can spend a good amount of money on a quality razor, hones, brushes, soap etc. but one cannot get a great shave if they don't know how to strop. I have bought shave ready razors from reputable buyers and they really are shave ready. They can go 4.5/5 on HHT with the hair bulb out. But often they cannot do that with the bulb in. I go 50 to 100 laps on a cordovan strop and they perform well with the bulb in. It makes sense that stropping is the most important thing. You may touch up on a hone every few months but you strop before every shave.
 
Is it normal to have a slight dusting of leather residue on the straight razor after stropping, or is this an indication of bad technique?
 
Is it normal to have a slight dusting of leather residue on the straight razor after stropping, or is this an indication of bad technique?

Two possibilities, none which is a real concern:

1) Can be that the strop is "shedding", this can be because it is dry, or because after much use it could have accumulated some "stuff" on the surface. "Stuff" being from oils deposited during hand rubbing, soapy residue on the blade, strop conditioning paste that went hard, or swarf.

2) Some razors by design have some sharp edges on the spine like decorated spines or sharp transitions. This leather dust will collect in the hollow of the blade where it transitions to the spine. Not an issue, as long as it is not making scratches in the leather.

I find that some of my razors do it on my cow hide strop, some don't. None of them do it on my shell cordovan strop because of it's hard smooth surface.
 
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