Thread: nicks in strop

Gentlemen-
I will soon graduate myself from about two months with a Shavette to the real thing. My biggest concern is maintenance of the razor, which of course means stropping. After watching videos and reading posts, I am eager to get going. Here's my question: after visualizing the stropping process, it seems to me that most nicks in the strop would occur from not holding the razor perpindicular to the strop during the stroke - especially when using the "X" motion necessary on a 2" strop - thus slicing the leather. Is this a correct conclusion? Are nicks to a 3" strop less likely because of this?

Please fix my thinking if I am off track here.

Thanks a lot, Gags

No, nicks mostly happens when you are hesitating, and not flipping at the right time. Practice with a butter knife.

I started out about two months ago and it was rough going at first. I did the same thing you did and watched tons of video's and read forums. What really did it for me was trial and error though. With lots of practice I no longer slice the leather, although this was not the case when I first started. It comes with practice. I am still very slow, which is fine for me. Just like with lifting weights, it's all about the form. Slow is smooth, smooth is fast.

I assume you mean Parallel and not Perpendicular. But yes I do have a bit of a problem with this. I get nicks on the ends of my strop. As mentioned previously it usually has to do with hesitation at the end and I expect that after spending more time developing the muscle memory it will be second nature without any slip ups.

All my nicks (and massive gouges) are when I missed the flip at the far end. Not bad on the push, but if you miss the flip on the pull stroke, you find out just how far into your skin one of these things can go, realizing that leather is way stronger than skin. Get a cheap one (whippeddog has a nice set cheap is used for three-four months) as you will nick it, no question. Better nick a 10 dollar jobbie than one five-to-10 times A's much.

It certainly is helpful to go slowly at first. Nicks come when you flip the blade before starting the return stroke. Make the flip slowly, keeping the spine situated on the strop, and start going the other way before you lay the edge (with the spine, of course) on the strop.

+1 on Blix and ace's advice. Practice with a butter knife to learn the feel and mechanics of stropping. Then when you do begin to strop your razor, hold it taut at approx. waist height and take it slow.

Some small nicks are unavoidable, even among the most adept at stropping, though. They can be removed with some fine grit sandpaper.

Just be careful that you don't cut or gash your strop.

Good luck!

Good advice above, Also, When your starting out, I'd buy the most inexpensive strop I could find. Ruprazor comes to mind, and there are a few others. You can even practice on an old belt. If you have a Tandy leather by you, They sell cowhide strips for belt making, 3 inches wide in various lengths. You can easily use it as a strop.

No, I mean perpendicular. The blade of the razor is held perpendicular to the length of the strop as it is stropped. The direction you pull the razor may be described as parallel to the strop, but the razor must be perpendicular (or close) to the length of the strop during the process

I have had to replace the leather on my strop twice but that's all due to user-error. The first one had to be replaced because I was usually going too fast and I didn't time the flip correctly. I repaired a couple of nicks but eventually I gouged it. The second strip of leather was too thin, so it bowed when I pulled it taught and yes, I gouged the hell out of it once. The third one works perfectly and I make it a point to slow it down and listen to the steel hit the leather! Good luck and remember practice, practice, practice - If it isn't working, it's probably you.