Thread: comments on stropping technique

Hi guys!

I've read some of the articles here about stropping, watched some videos and trained for about a month.

I recently made had a friend record my stropping, which I put up here;

YouTube - CLIP0072.AVI

I'm hoping that some of you would like to take a look at my technique and give my some pointers.

/Markus

Welcome to SRP. That is not the way I strop at all. Here is a good read on correct stropping (IMHO) from the SRP Wiki help files. It is a 1961 barber manual excerpt on honing and stropping. The last couple of pages are the stropping recommendations. Pay specific attention to the instruction to learn to flip the razor without doing the stroke. Only begin the stroke when you feel comfortable with the flip.

I like my strop to be mounted waist high. This is where I have observed pro barbers mount theirs years ago when they routinely used straight razors. I know that some guys mount them high and it works for them but I think a door knob height is better. YMMV. I hold the razor with the tips of my forefinger on the tang just behind the heel and the tip of my thumb opposite on the top of the spine. For me that makes for a very efficient flip. The middle, ring and small fingers kind of cradle and support the scales which helps to control the razor.

Why all the pressure on the blade and strop? SRP member hi_bud_gl made an excellent youtube video on stropping, please find it and that will help you greatly!

Bloody hell! You can actually see the strop being cut to bits in that vid. You need to roll the blade over on it's back to flip it and you don't need to put your weight onto the blade like you're doing either.
You're just polishing the edge on the strop, the sharpening should be done on a hone. First stand facing the strop (and the wall I too I suppose) grasp the strop and pull it firmly towards you. This is your starting position. If you insist on standing side on adjust the below instructions to suit.
Grasp the tang firmly as someone described above, but don't strangle it, lay the blade flat on your strop edge towards you and while keeping the blade flat, slide it up the strop. If you need to, while you slide it up the strop you can slowly slide it across (from heel to toe) as well, to cover the entire length of the edge. Time this to end close to the end of your stroke.
Before you reach the end of your stroke start to roll the blade over onto it's back. At the same time your sliding motion should start coming back towards you and the blade should be layed flat with the edge away from you. Never should the spine of the blade lose contact with the strop.
As the blade comes to the end of it's stroke towards you, start to lift the blade off the strop again, still maintaining contact with the spine and strop. You've just completed one pass and have started on your second.
Good luck.


Mick

How does the razor shave after that????

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

Why all the pressure on the blade and strop? SRP member hi_bud_gl made an excellent youtube video on stropping, please find it and that will help you greatly!

This is the video it may help .
check it out.

YouTube - straight razor stropping

You have the opposite problem from me, I was way too light. I don't think you could press down any harder than you are now.

What videos were you watching?

Originally Posted by jeffegg2

You have the opposite problem from me, I was way too light. I don't think you could press down any harder than you are now.

"Way too light " will not damage the edge if form is correct. Heavy will chip or roll the edge.

Originally Posted by jeffegg2

You have the opposite problem from me, I was way too light. I don't think you could press down any harder than you are now.

It may not have been too light, you may have been lifting the edge off the strop, I use light strokes and from what I have seen, most people do.