Thread: sound

what sound should a razor make when passing over a leather strop? My new My razors seem to make a scratching type sound whenever the edge side is on the strop. Is that an okay sound, or does it sound like I am putting some pressure on the edge by lifting the spine? I don't think I am lifting the spine, but I am new and am still learning. Thanks

Here's a link to the stropping page in the wiki : Razor stropping - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Scroll down to the "Senses" part, and there are three links to hearing: Uneven, Even, and then AFDavis' video, which is excellent.

The sound of the razor moving on the strop should be more of a "sssssshuuuuhhkk" sound, as opposed to a scratchy sound.

Does this help any?

Yes, that helps. I did not see that before when I was looking at stropping in the Wiki. My technique sounds like the uneven sound. Time to practice.

Good good. Try to strop at an even pace. It doesn't need to be like a drag car going down a strip. If you're a musician, I would suggest 60-80 beats per minute is plenty.

When I strop I try to get the best stroke with every stroke. If I miss a stroke, it's because I've gone too fast, or I'm not concentrating enough.

Keep in mind depending on the strop and the razor and the grind you might get no sound at all or plenty of sound so I would not be using sound as an indicator, personally speaking.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Keep in mind depending on the strop and the razor and the grind you might get no sound at all or plenty of sound so I would not be using sound as an indicator, personally speaking.

I agree. some leathers have a dry surface, some an oily surface, some a gritty/grainy surface - they all make different noises and what's more, the noise changes as they are used. Even the grind of the razor affects the sound to a large degree, as thebigspendur also notes above. The only time I would use sound as an indicator is if I noticed a sudden, unexpected sound during stropping.

Regards,
Neil

Thank you all. I slowed my self down and was actually able to eliminate the scratching sound. I looked closely and verified that the blade was still flat on the strop. I think that it was caused by too much pressure. For the record I am using a half(i think) hollow blade and a SRD Latigo strop.