nicking strop

Hello, I have just recieved a practice strop and a regular strop from Tony Miller.

I have been practicing on the practice strop using my Wapienica straight razor, and I keep nicking it.

Will this go away with practice? I am afraid now to try the 3 inch strop.

Sounds normal to me!

I just got the same setup from Tony Miller about six weeks ago. My practice strop is nicked up pretty good!
I'm just moving to the good strop now, but i still start out on the practice strop until i've got the strokes down, then finish off on the good strop. I still feel in danger of nicking the good strop, but less so than at the beginning..

My advice??? Take as long on the practice strop as you need before venturing onto the fine piece of leather... There is no time limit..

You are probably a little spooked by now! Nervous. Get a butter knife, and practice stropping on the nicked up strop. You won't be set up by your anxiety to fail then, for it won't hurt anything if you turn the "blade" the wrong way.

Practice rolling the "razor" on its spine while you "strop."

Batters swing a heavily weighted bat, and when they swing an unweighted bat, their muscles are primed. Similarly, but on a mental level, by using a butter knife, you want to set up neuron memory that is at a lower level than your conscious thoughts. Strop faster and faster! Strop so fast you can't think. If you are thinking, you will be worrying, and you will mess up.

Set up a trance-like rhythm with the butter knife and just keep doing it. That will program your mind at a lower level than your thoughts. Muscle memory. Isn't that what it's called now?

If you nick the strop, try to use sandpaper (600-800-1200 grit - one of those) to remove the little nick that feel like a bump on the strop if you use your fingers instead of the straight on the leather. You need a flat surface.

The butter knife is good as you won't nick the strop with it and it will be good pratice.

Remember, this is not Nascar 500, you don't need to go at 160mph. Take your time. You will gain speed naturally. If you try to force the speed, as pointed out, you will nick the strop.

So I tried again paying extra special attention to keep the spine of the razor turned in the direction I was stropping.

It made a big difference.

Is that the whole thing? Can you only nick the strop by moving it blade first against the strop? (like how you decimate your face if you put the blade vertically against your skin?)

Slow down and perfect your technique. After you roll the blade on the spine, start your movement on the strop just a fraction of a second before you lay the blade edge fully on the strop.

Rollie Juddernaut Fingers said:

So I tried again paying extra special attention to keep the spine of the razor turned in the direction I was stropping.

It made a big difference.

Is that the whole thing? Can you only nick the strop by moving it blade first against the strop? (like how you decimate your face if you put the blade vertically against your skin?)

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From the videos I've seen, you are to never strop/hone edge first. The spline is supposed to be the lead.

It surprised me too, as it is backwards from what I've learned for knife sharpening.

This...

Luc said:

Remember, this is not Nascar 500, you don't need to go at 160mph. Take your time. You will gain speed naturally. If you try to force the speed, as pointed out, you will nick the strop.

Click to expand...

At first, and still occasionally, I have to keep reminding myself to sloooow down when I’m stropping. Don't over think it, you'll get a rhythm going.

Most, if not all of my nicks came from continuing the stropping motion after I turned the razor to go the other direction. I need to concentrate on changing direction before I flip the razor for the opposite stroke.. if that makes sense...
I want to be going the opposite direction before the edge meets the strop...

I hope I'm being clear...

In any case, I still use the practice strop often, but the "main show" is so much smooooooother

How quick do you need to strop?
Is going slow just as effective, or do you need to strop fast enough to create heat?

snakyjake said:

How quick do you need to strop?
Is going slow just as effective, or do you need to strop fast enough to create heat?

Click to expand...

It needs to be a continuous slide of the blade on the strop meaning that you need to move that blade in 1 shot from one end of the strop to the end but it doesn't need to be lightning quick.

I would say if you cover 12" of strop in 1-2 seconds, that's good!