Thread: Your Strop Technique

Group,

When you get to the end of your stroke on the strop, do you tend to lift the razor before the flip, or do you flip with the spine still on the strop and reverse direction?

I have seen those that flip with the spine still on the strop and reverse direction, but I have found that I my timing sucks doing that and I nick my strop badly at the end of the pull stroke.

So is that just a matter of experience and practice, or do some of you just lift the razor?

Thanks.

David

I keep the spine on the strop at all times. I used to put slight nicks/wear on my strop at the end of the pull stroke at the very edge of the strop closest to my body. I've never nicked the strop anywhere else save for a miscue at 2AM when I was half asleep and shouldn't have been doing it.

I used to hold the tang between the tip of my thumb and at the first digit of my forefinger and turn my wrist when flipping the razor. When I re-learned the grip and began holding the tang between the tips of my thumb and forefinger and stopped turning my wrist the problem went away. I got that from reading the 1961 barber manual in the SPR Wiki help files here. The last couple of pages are on stropping properly.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I keep the spine on the strop at all times. I used to put slight nicks/wear on my strop at the end of the pull stroke at the very edge of the strop closest to my body. I've never nicked the strop anywhere else save for a miscue at 2AM when I was half asleep and shouldn't have been doing it.

I used to hold the tang between the tip of my thumb and at the first digit of my forefinger and turn my wrist when flipping the razor. When I re-learned the grip and began holding the tang between the tips of my thumb and forefinger and stopped turning my wrist the problem went away. I got that from reading the 1961 barber manual in the SPR Wiki help files here. The last couple of pages are on stropping properly.

Thanks. I re-read that article and the manual. I think I know what I am doing wrong.

Originally Posted by Alembic

Group,

When you get to the end of your stroke on the strop, do you tend to lift the razor before the flip, or do you flip with the spine still on the strop and reverse direction?

I have seen those that flip with the spine still on the strop and reverse direction, but I have found that I my timing sucks doing that and I nick my strop badly at the end of the pull stroke.

So is that just a matter of experience and practice, or do some of you just lift the razor?

Thanks.

David

I do both. Just depends on my mood. Sometimes I like to lift the razor off of the strop and then slap it back down. Other times I'll keep the back in contact with the strop the entire time. Either way works for me, and I don't nick my strop.

Both ways. Timing is everything, and it takes awhile before you can do it subconsciously.

I leave the spine on the strop. When I first started I was a lot slower of course, but I've always used the "locked wrist" technique and I've never nicked a strop.

Well, I have no idea what is happening now. But last night I made hamburger out of the lower right corner of my strop while trying to keep the spine on the strop for the flip. As long as I lift the blade at the end of the stroke before the flip I am Ok, never nicked my strop. Now that this piece of Latigo is going to have to be replaced, I am going to practice on in until I get it.

I am locking my wrist and trying to do the flip just using my thumb and forefinger. I have to still be in stroke motion while the flip is taking place. Now I can't tell if it is at the end of the pull stroke or the beginning of the push stroke - ARRRGGGGG!

The barber manual suggests practicing the flip without doing the stroke until you've mastered it. Perhaps that would be something to consider now that you've changed your grip.

no lifting of the spine for me

I just did a few strokes on my strop to see if I do anything unconsciously, but I didn't notice anything helpful, it's just instinct I guess.

The only thing I can think of is practicing in mid-air without the strop, try to move your hand on the same plane, and start slow.