Thread: A Quantitative Description of Correct Stropping Pressure for our Newcomers

In this thread: My Personal Stropping Progress, Birnando said:

Originally Posted by Birnando

I fully understand the advice given on this site about little to none pressure and all that, I have been giving it myself... The thing is, there is, in my stropping, a slight bit of pressure... It's hard to explain, in text, what the proper correlation between tautness and pressure should be.

I wonder if the following would be useful:

"Place a finger on the back of your open hand, on the pad of flesh between your thumb and first finger. Press gently until you've formed a slight depression in the pad of flesh. That is how much pressure should be applied to your razor when stopping."

For me, this seems to be the ideal. If those of you who have been stropping for years agree, maybe we could adopt this as a good way to explain to newcomers- who don't have the benefit of seeing it done first-hand- how much pressure to use?

I like your idea Michael of having a quantitative description for pressure but I don't think it can really work because stropping seems to be the biggest YMMV piece of straight razor use. Stropping to me seems to be all about tactile feel which just can't be put into words fully and completly. I think this is why stropping really isn't disscussed more on the forums and that we give newcomes the advise of using little to no pressure at all. By telling them no pressure at all they are less likely to damage their blade in the begining and they will eventually find a good amount of pressure for them to use when they strop as they get more exprience. This seems to be how it works out for most. How far someone goes into stropping seems to be a matter of what they want to get out of it. Some people doen't mind taking a blade to a hone once a month or a couple times a year while some want to take a blade to the hones maybe once a year or once every couple years. Those that don't mind going to the hones often find the pressurer that works for them and those that don't want to go to the hones often find the pressurer that works for them.

I tried your suggestion and find that I use quiet a bit more pressure then that when I really get down to stropping a blade. I might use the amount of pressure you suggested when I first use a freashly honed blade as that seems to be the most delicate time for the edge and more pressure even if done correctly seems to hurt the edge but as I get into 2 or 3 uses and up with a blade I apply much more pressure. What I have found through my own experence is that I use enough pressure in my stropping motion to create a even draw through out my motion on both the pressed wool strop and leather strop. Sometimes this is very little pressure and sometimes this is a whole lot of pressure but I do it all on the feel of the blade on the strop. When I have the right pressure I feel the blade being pulled into the pressed wool and leather. I also found doing my stropping this way I need much less strokes to get my blade back to shave ready. I would say I do about 10-15 laps on pressed wool and 10-15 on leather before a shave and 5-10 on each after each shave. Only if I have a not so good shave will I spend more time on the strop to get it back to shave ready.

These are my oppions of course YMMV

I've always wondered about the use of this tool for measuring tension in strops:



It's a scale to weigh fishes. If I remember correctly the difference between mass and weight, weight is the tension in an apparatus whereas mass is what you measure with a balance. Mass is independent of the earth's gravity; our weight is the result of the planet's attraction. At our level, mass and weight are equivalent.

At any rate: hook the strop on the scale, put the o-ring of the scale on your doorknob, pull taut, and look at the numbers.

You will have an "objective" measurement of tension. There might be other similar tools that can be used to measure tension in a medium.

Is it a matter of pressure that's the key or is it the amount of deflection of the strop that's the key. Depending on strop thickness and length and width that could all change.

Another variable is whether the strop is a paddle strop or a hanging strop. There are additional variables like the strop's draw (the better the draw the less need for pressure) the type of strop, and the stropping technique of the user. This is not to say that stropping pressure can't be quantified, it just shows why stropping seems to be such a personal issue, especially for those new to it.

Most paddle strops are designed to flex somewhat. Is it the same from brand to brand or does it differ?

IME it is a matter of experimenting. The great jazz saxophonist, Charlie 'Yardbird' Parker is reputed to have said,"Master your instrument, then forget all that stuff, and play." I think stropping is like that. You start off with great trepidation fearing that you'll cut your strop or damage your edge. Eventually you develop the stroke and begin to strop efficiently. Whether you're using the "right" pressure becomes evident by your results. Once the stroke is mastered experimenting with pressure, tautness, speed begins until personal preference is found. That is my experience anyhow.

This is a tough one. Just my $.02.... when a new guy comes to my house I have them demonstrate their stropping for me. In all cases they are doing at least one thing wrong and usually 2. The tautness of the strop is not being held consistent. Frequently this is caused by them using to long of a stroke. I point this out to them and tell them to keep it taut but don't pull the hanger out of the wall.

Then I notice that they are being very cautious and super light on their stroke. I explain that by doing so they are occasionally raising the edge off the leather and getting no benefit. I show them how I strop and point out that my strop deflects by about 1/2"-1" at the midpoint of the stroke. While I am demonstrating this I have them hold the other end so the can feel how taut I am holding the strop. Then I have them practice stropping some more and watch them. This seems to help the new guys.

I like the fish scale idea. I will be giving that a try.


This has been a very good thread. Thanks to all.

I agree about the pressure.

The way I've always thought of it is the tension in the strop should be enough to keep the strop flat without there being a whole load of tension in your arm.

And then the razor should have enough pressure to keep it flat on the strop. This gives me about 1/2" flex on the strop for a nice comfortable relaxed stroke.

Originally Posted by MHV

I've always wondered about the use of this tool for measuring tension in strops:

It's a scale to weigh fishes. If I remember correctly the difference between mass and weight, weight is the tension in an apparatus whereas mass is what you measure with a balance. Mass is independent of the earth's gravity; our weight is the result of the planet's attraction. At our level, mass and weight are equivalent.

At any rate: hook the strop on the scale, put the o-ring of the scale on your doorknob, pull taut, and look at the numbers.

You will have an "objective" measurement of tension. There might be other similar tools that can be used to measure tension in a medium.

Did this, but only once & it was with a freshly honed razor on a thin roo strop. IIRC it was approx. 0.5kg. I imagine a thicker heavier strop may require different tension to achieve similar tautness.