Stropping Technique Question

Gents,

I have a cheap 2 1/2" hanging strop I've been using in order not to slice up a decent one. I've viewed quite a few videos on technique, but I've previously not been rolling on the spine of the razor, so I've identified that my stropping passes have been made with the spine slightly lifted from the strop. Would I be right in saying I've been doing it wrong?

To start again to correct my technique, should I instead lay my strop down on a tabletop to get the rolling? What would have been the resulting effect with my passes with the spine lifted?

Technically yes, if you have the spine raised as you arestropping you are putting the edge at risk of being rolled which will lead togetting the razor rehoned and a less than comfortable shave.
Stropping is not a race, all the fast wacky stropping inmovies is not real life, laying the blade and spine flat on the strop and doingslow passes will yield much betterresults that both you and your blade will appreciate.

Thanks for the reply - yes, that confirms what I suspected. It would certainly explain why my vintage 4/8th felt great coming off the stone, but felt dull after I (badly) stropped it.

I've now brought my strop down into the dining room where it's waiting on the table for me - I'll strop flat on the surface, I think the hanging mode is confusing my dexterity at the moment. I'll work slow, I need to get that rolling spine motion fixed in muscle memory.

I've done the same thing as you in the past. However, IMO there is something about using hanging strap that lends to a better edge. I tried stroping on a flat surface but I get better results when the strop is hanging and flexible for some reason.

You are on the right path. Take your time and learn the movements. Had a pistol instructor tell me one time "slow is smooth and smooth is fast." Same kind of thing here. Learn the movements, blade flat, roll on the spine at the top and bottom. If laying it flat helps with that then by all means go for it. You will have it hung back up quickly enough. Look at the height of where you hang your strop. Sometimes a little more or a little less height here can make all the difference while you are learning.

Thanks for the comments Gents... I have just stropped my 4/8th (more 7/16th) laying the strop flat on the table. It seemed to take an age to do but practiced a slow rhythmic 50 laps on it. It's certainly working, the 4/8th feels quite shaveable now. Also did 50 laps on the 6/8th. I must say it doesn't feel natural to me to have the strop flat on the table, so I think I'll go with your advice Brian and try different angles for hanging the strop.

Now there is definitely no right or wrong answer to this, but I like the top of my strop just under armpit high.

Yep, all YMMV. I keep mine at waist height.

Strop height, stance & finger position are worth messing around with:

Ahhhhh! Thank you for linking that video, I've not previously seen a video that explains grip and motion so well, I've certainly been using the grips and wrist motions that he indicates as incorrect - I'll practice that recommendation.

I've been looping my strop onto a door handle so have a near horizontal which seems to work ok though I have to wedge a foot to the door to stop it moving. I'll try some different angles to see what's most comfortable.

Sham's video as linked is a good one. I only differ from it in that I start from the top and return from the bottom. The orientation of the fingers on the shank from side to side as shown, rather than from top to bottom, is crucial. My bias is towards the trailing edge (in stropping) with the thumb.