stropping not as easy as it looks

[calcustom]

In anticipation of my 1st straight shave I have been practice stropping my unhoned WB prior to stropping my new SRD prepped DOVO.
The note that came with the razor recommended an initial stropping.
I have read and viewed plenty of good info on how to properly strop and watching my technique I am concerned I may do more damage then good.
Should I just keep practicing till I think I've got it or maybe just try the DOVO without doing a strop?

[Muirtach]

Move slowly and you should be fine. All my mistakes as a new stropper came when I tried to speed up. Learn the muscle memmory first then it follows naturally.

The Dovo should be fine for a first shave withotu a stropping, but you will definately want to start after that.

[mainaman]

grab a sheet of printer paper and fold it until you end up with ~1" wide strip.
grab it so that ~4" stick out of your hand, and strop with it. The goal is to apply light enough pressure for the paper not to fold. This is a great technique Rayaman posted over at the SRP forum.

[professorchaos]

If the razor was just honed, you should be able to get a good shave out of it. But as a matter of habit, you'll want to start stropping before each shave. Just take it sloooooow and you'll do fine.

[azmark]

I practiced on an old strop with a butter knife. Still not perfect but a lot more confident

[English]

There are three pressures involved in stropping.

The first is you need to pull the strop so that it is flat along its length when you apply the pressure of the blade to it. Making it flat does not mean you have to pull it taught.

The second pressure is exerted by the arm muscles holding the spine of the blade onto the leather and pushing and pulling the spine along the leather. This pressure needs to ensure the blade spine makes a good solid contact with the leather.

The third pressure is exerted by the wrist which rolls the edge of the blade down onto the leather. This is the critical pressure and it needs to make sure the edge makes a clean contact but no more with the leather. It's the pressure applied by your wrist that must be light and act more like a shock absorber to stop the edge lifting, but no more.

The combined pressures allow the blade to gluide up and down smoothly.

I think it is best to practice with a blunt butter knife.

[calcustom]

Thanks for the tips guys.
All these are solid and will get me closer to being comfortable with this necessary function.
I will probably wear this Filly out practicing!

[leighton]

Take the strop off whatever your hanging it from. Place the strop on your kitchen table or other flat surface with a straight edge. Practice on that. Oh, be sure to hold it down so it doesn't move.

And, you don't need to strop the razor when it comes from the honemeister. In fact, its recommended not to unless your proficient at stropping, then its recommended. But at that point, you should know what you want/need.

[Bertilak]

And, you don't need to strop the razor when it comes from the honemeister. In fact, its recommended not to unless your proficient at stropping, then its recommended.

Revosir is at least one exception to this. The e-mail they sent me confirming shipment of my order said the blade needed to be stropped before use. Of course I forgot all about that by the time the razor finally showed up and I got a decidedly inferior shave from it. Once I realized what happened I stropped the razor and it gave me an excellent shave!

That is how I learned for sure that my stropping technique was at least adequate!

[leighton]

Probably because Revisor is across from the very large pond, and then a couple of countries away. :D Its probably a good idea to strop a razor thats been in transit for that long.

[Thebigspendur]

Probably because Revisor is across from the very large pond, and then a couple of countries away. :D Its probably a good idea to strop a razor thats been in transit for that long.

Unless the razor was poorly packed and its been bouncing around in its box you should be OK with it. I know there is this old barbers tale about razors going dull in the post office. Must be those x ray machines they use eh?

[leighton]

Unless the razor was poorly packed and its been bouncing around in its box you should be OK with it. I know there is this old barbers tale about razors going dull in the post office. Must be those x ray machines they use eh?

I dunno, razors go dull sitting in the desert climate of Phoenix, AZ. I can't imagine they'd fare much better in more humid climates, or in shipping boxes. Stainless steel razors otoh...

Either case, strop if you know how, no matter what. If you've never stropped before, just shave. Your more likely to damage the edge than improve it. Learn to strop after.

[OldSchoolYoungin]

I think it was Randy Tuttle that once said to always strop just before shaving as oxidation can take place very soon after leaving the strop. That's also his reason for not stropping the night before for a shave the next day. Something to consider from a far more experienced person than myself...

Edit: Here it is http://www.straightrazorplace.com/fo...tml#post182271

[Bertilak]

I think it was Randy Tuttle that once said to always strop just before shaving as oxidation can take place very soon after leaving the strop. That's also his reason for not stropping the night before for a shave the next day. Something to consider from a far more experienced person than myself...

I always strop right after shaving as it is part of my ritual to be sure the edge of the blade is dry. Just before I shave I do a short, quick, stropping touch-up. I figure if there is any oxidation since the previous shave that will be enough to take care of it.

If a razor has gone unused for a while it probably has oil on it so I wipe it clean then do a full stropping before shaving.

I could reverse things and do just a quick stropping after the shave (to be sure things are dry) and a full stropping before the shave but I feel better putting away a razor in shave-ready status. I feel I should square away my tools when I am done with them.

[Luc]

I used to nick my strop everytime I was stropping. A bit of sandpaper and I can fix the nick. However, I'm getting quicker now and didn't nick my strop for the past 2 weeks, which means that I'm learning (I guess). Pratice, go slow and you will get there.

Also, as advised up here, your Dovo will be fine on the first shave but you will need to strop it afterwards!

[Bertilak]

I used to nick my strop everytime I was stropping. A bit of sandpaper and I can fix the nick. However, I'm getting quicker now and didn't nick my strop for the past 2 weeks, which means that I'm learning (I guess).

<deep spooky voice on>

Beware the pendulum swing!

<return to normal voice>

The circle will be unbroken!

practice->success->over confidence->inattention-> ->practice-> ...

[Thebigspendur]

I dunno, razors go dull sitting in the desert climate of Phoenix, AZ. I can't imagine they'd fare much better in more humid climates, or in shipping boxes. Stainless steel razors otoh...

Either case, strop if you know how, no matter what. If you've never stropped before, just shave. Your more likely to damage the edge than improve it. Learn to strop after.

Hmm, I live in New Mexico and I have straights I honed over a year ago and never used. When I do use them they're as sharp as the day I honed them. Must be all that pollution in your air?

[leighton]

Hmm, I live in New Mexico and I have straights I honed over a year ago and never used. When I do use them they're as sharp as the day I honed them. Must be all that pollution in your air?

Definitely very polluted.

Or maybe my honing has improved and my old stuff isn't as spectacular.

Most likely though, its all in my head.