Thread: I destroyed my brand new strop in 3 weeks with nicks

Hi. It's Jim from Alexandria, VA. I was shaving daily with a feather for 2 years. Cuts every day. Three weeks ago I received my professionally sharpened, new DOVO pakkawood. NO CUTS!! Shaving heaven!

EXCEPT--I've managed to destroy my Russian leather strop in only three weeks. No, I'm not turning blade-side down.

Picture of the strop is below:


See what I mean? Too much pressure? Too fast?

Is there someone experienced in the greater Washington D.C. area I could learn from? Thanks, Jim

Probably too fast and too loose (the arm motion, not the strop). Too bad... That strop looks beyond repair.

Even after doing this for years, I still pay a lot of attention to my stropping motion. You don't need to be fast to be effective. I pay a good deal of attention to the beginning and end of my strokes - careful with the turns and ensuring that the razor is flat against the strop at both the start and finish of each lap.

the only way i can see that your putting cuts in it like that is at the end of a stroke/beginning of the next your accidentally going in reverse when you want to be in drive. (even if its just slightly). try going real slow on the flip, but as fast as your comfortable on the stroke.

or maybe im missing something.

hope this helps

That's pretty bad, but I wouldn't worry too much. Get yourself some low, medium, and high grit wet/dry sandpaper. Lay if flat on a table and wrap the sandpaper around something cylindrical, the fat end of a wine bottle works. Work the low grit until the nicks are gone to your satisfaction, then move up in grit. you won't have to go too far. Then give it a good rub down with your palm to get skin oils in to it and wipe away any residual abrasive, then you're good to go.

Sand the cuts out I would say.

jimrobb,

+1 to sand the cuts out; you have nothing to lose

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

Looks like you stop the stropping motion before you start turning the blade
(the edge should never be allowed to be still on the strop)

Cut the loose small flaps off then sand it down a little
(you dont need to remove the nics just even them out a bit)
Then rub with your hand to get rid of some residue before adding a little strop conditioner to the damaged areas and rub some more

Sorry about your stop. But welcome to the "I destroyed my first strop" Club. I repaired mine and use the back side with paste. It won't go to waste but I feel you pain.

Same happened to me, it probably can be repaired I think. I'd slow down the technique when you turn the blade and make sure the razor is not being lifted from the strop. I haven't had a nick for a couple of months now the muscle memory is going but there was a cost

+1 to much of the above. When I was learning how to strop, I used a butter knife to get the feeling of the "flip". Then I went by the motions "strop, stop, flip"...Begin from the handle, strop away from you, STOP, do a perfect flip, strop back to you, STOP, do another perfect flip, and so on.

Perfect practice makes perfect. Knicks are a part of the learning curve I think, but new strops are expensive!

Have fun