Thread: Length of time to becoming a compitent stropper.

Just out of complete curiousity, but how long did it take from being a beginner to become a someone who can strop with both delicacy and fury?

I have been using straights for only a year and a half but it had only taken around six months to get my style down pat.

I feel like it took a couple months to get stropping down pretty well. Im sure everyone's answer will be different.

After the second nick my skill level improved greatly and mysteriously.

My abilities on the strops developed over several months.
I thought I had it down after about a month or so, and it did work ok.
Then as I kept at it, it got better and better.
I'd say a full six months before I got to a level where all my different blades got the maximum from my strops.

I'd say it took me a few months of stropping daily before I was really comfortable with it.

It's an alien motion for most folks so it does take a bit of time to get familiar with it and not nick the strop.

Originally Posted by Stubear

I'd say it took me a few months of stropping daily before I was really comfortable with it.

It's an alien motion for most folks so it does take a bit of time to get familiar with it and not nick the strop.

Yep, after my first nick I got some invaluable instruction here: Razor stropping - Straight Razor Place Wiki

After my second nick I went back to the above link and let AFDavis11's info sink more deeply into my rock-hard noggin. I feel pretty confident now, but when I feel any wild, caveman tendancies wanting to kick in, I remember... supress... and strop.



'Bout 3 months... that sounds about right.

IIRC, there were a couple months worth of solid learning...watching how fast I was moving, the blade, the tension on the strop. I'd say by 5 or 6 months I was stropping well enough to have a positive effect on the razor.

Dunno about delicacy and fury, but it was probably a year before I got to the level where I would have been comfortable having a go on someone else's expensive strop. (Knowing that there was absolutely zero chance I'd nick it, I mean.)

I can't remember that far back.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I can't remember that far back.

I'd rather strop on his most excellent cat than his strop... even at this time...

I'm pretty sure I'd never nick his cat, but if I ever nicked his strop... I'd never forgive myself...

LOL!