Stropocalypse

[Legion]

Ok, I'm getting rather discouraged. I spent at least fifteen minutes VERY carefully and VERY slowly stropping my razor on canvas then leather, and it didn't help even a tiny bit. This thing was a dream to use when I first got it. Two good shaves, and now it's a nightmare. It was painful and caught on every strand of stubble; I gave up in seconds. It was just pointless. What happened? What exactly is a "rolled blade"?

Also, am I correct in thinking that you are NOT supposed to use a towel to wipe moisture & soap scum off a straight, as it would screw up the edge?

No, I use a towel (or at least a cloth) to wipe moisture from the edge. Then I use toilet paper to make sure. But I wipe along the blade, not across it.

You might need a rehone. A rolled edge is created when you a) press too hard, or b) do not keep the blade flat on the strop for the whole stroke. It happens, especially when you are learning. A paddle strop can help with problem a).

Remember, light pressure, go slow (but not too slow. Like dancing, up one two three, down one two three...) You will get it.

[Brent]

You might want to vary your technique a bit. As a newbie your technique can be up and down so you may want to change your angles a little bit just to be sure.

[Gustav]

I use a moist towel to wipe off the soap scum during my shave and I have never had any problems. It is the same towel I use to prep my face and therefore it is wet. I just strop the blade after my shave, on a paddle in order to dry the edge. I seldom use oil before storage and I have never had problems with rust.

I can understand your frustration. If I were in your shoes, I would follow the advice in a previous post and get it re-honed. To emulate a paddle strop, I have read that you can put the strop on a table whilst stropping the blade.

Hope it works out for you, it is worth while persevering. Keep us posted on your progress!

[The Ambassador]

I never really thought about that... makes it clear just how much it behooves you to slow down and really strop carefully.

+1 here. I ruined a perfectly honed razor the very first time I stropped it. I was over zealous in my strokes and I noticed my shave was epitomized through all the tugging. For a newly honed razor, I knew it was my stropping's fault.

[Gordy2]

On my practice razor, I have noticed a bad habit of the more times I stroke the razor across the strop the more pressure I begin to apply on the str8. Thankfully I catch myself doing this and can back off immediately. Ironically at the same
time I find I am pulling on the stop harder also, thus tightening the strop so it has not rolled, YET! I need to just concentrate more on every step in the whole procedure.

[danjared]

Remember, light pressure, go slow (but not too slow. Like dancing, up one two three, down one two three...) You will get it.

I've seen linen increase the HHT results and improve the shave-worthiness of the edge on many razors. And before the question comes up, I test before stropping on linen, after stropping on linen and after stropping on leather. The funny thing is that I only get these results with pressure and speed. This may explain why you don't believe linen does much--light pressure won't be as effective.

Relatedly, I've never seen stropping with pressure ruin the edge. The only thing I've seen ruin the edge is raising the spine or rolling the razor edge on the edge of the strop, which is where the honing on narrow hones practice comes in handy.

And even these ruined edges are usually recoverable. Bart Torfs did a notable test where he dulled a razor on glass and brought the edge back with stropping on linen and leather. He said that the shave wasn't as smooth as before, but it still did the job.

Edit: Also, I said that speed and pressure are important, but it's also important when learning not to use too much speed or pressure because an inexperienced stropper will have more trouble with the basic coordination of the stropping action. I'm just saying that speed and pressure will help to get more out of one's strop when one has more experience.

[Legion]

I've seen linen increase the HHT results and improve the shave-worthiness of the edge on many razors. And before the question comes up, I test before stropping on linen, after stropping on linen and after stropping on leather. The funny thing is that I only get these results with pressure and speed. This may explain why you don't believe linen does much--light pressure won't be as effective.

Relatedly, I've never seen stropping with pressure ruin the edge. The only thing I've seen ruin the edge is raising the spine or rolling the razor edge on the edge of the strop, which is where the honing on narrow hones practice comes in handy.

And even these ruined edges are usually recoverable. Bart Torfs did a notable test where he dulled a razor on glass and brought the edge back with stropping on linen and leather. He said that the shave wasn't as smooth as before, but it still did the job.

Edit: Also, I said that speed and pressure are important, but it's also important when learning not to use too much speed or pressure because an inexperienced stropper will have more trouble with the basic coordination of the stropping action. I'm just saying that speed and pressure will help to get more out of one's strop when one has more experience.

Agreed, but lets say that beginners should start slower, and with light pressure. It is way safer until you have the muscle memory worked out.