Over Stropping?

M

Mr Brick

Member
I'm sure my strop technique has cost me some longevity and shave ability. I think sometimes I over compensate for wanting the blade to be flat and I may end up applying unwanted pressure to the blade.

I have some questions. Is there an acceptable amount of pressure when stropping?

Also, sometimes I just bust out the strop out of boredom and I practice stropping. Is there such thing as too many strokes?

I typically strop on vegetable tan leather. I also have both plain canvas, and Dialux green compound loaded on canvas when I feel the plain leather isn't cutting it.
 
drmoss_ca

drmoss_ca

Is there a Doctor in the house ?
I'd say keep your stropping pressure very light for the best results. Rather than increasing the pressure of the blade on the strop, you can experiment with relaxing the tension on the strop slightly. This lets the strop bend a little more to fit the bevel better, but don't relax it too much or you will round your edge.

There's a video on YT showing the barber at the Waldorf in Dublin stropping with barely any tension on the strop, and barely any pressure on the blade. It's like watching someone with a paintbrush, or perhaps stroking a cat. Gentle and smooth, but in my view he takes it a bit far:

 
RHensley

RHensley

Resident Hand Model
Light pressure on the board or a hanging strop. For me I like the strop to be fairly tight not banjo tight and just enough pressure to keep the blade flat. So far it's worked for me. Now I'm not half as fast as this gentleman.
 
M

Mr Brick

Member
drmoss_ca said:
I'd say keep your stropping pressure very light for the best results. Rather than increasing the pressure of the blade on the strop, you can experiment with relaxing the tension on the strop slightly. This lets the strop bend a little more to fit the bevel better, but don't relax it too much or you will round your edge.

There's a video on YT showing the barber at the Waldorf in Dublin stropping with barely any tension on the strop, and barely any pressure on the blade. It's like watching someone with a paintbrush, or perhaps stroking a cat. Gentle and smooth, but in my view he takes it a bit far:

Click to expand...
Yeah I'm gona make sure i dont bugs bunny my razor stropping it too fast. I aint there yet, skillwise. Any thoughts on stroke count?
 
M

Mr Brick

Member
RHensley said:
Light pressure on the board or a hanging strop. For me I like the strop to be fairly tight not banjo tight and just enough pressure to keep the blade flat. So far it's worked for me. Now I'm not half as fast as this gentleman.
Click to expand...
Do you strop a certain number of strokes, or do you go by feel? (if thats even a thing)
 
drmoss_ca

drmoss_ca

Is there a Doctor in the house ?
Beyond a certain amount of stropping you aren't going to improve the edge, and simply increase the risk of damage to blade or strop by spending longer doing it. I don't see any advantage in doing more than 20-30 strokes on each kind of strop you use.
 
Sean

Sean

Active member
Here’s how I see it…If the strop restores the edge from any imperfections caused by shaving, then the strop pressure required shouldn’t need to be any greater than that applied to the face during the shave.

25 passes is a sweet spot for me. Pretty light pressure, progressively diminishing, ending with feather light passes.

When i first started using a straight I used way too much pressure on the strop and my edge dulled quickly. In addition to excess pressure, I was doing too many passes. Reducing pressure and count has significantly extended time between hone sessions. More importantly, my shaves seem smoother.
 
Bogie

Bogie

I'm not looking at you !
I'm in 20-25 passes camp. More than that won't matter much if the pressure is right. Not sure more would do anything to make it smoother. Too much pressure will ruin the edge and damage the strop. You can always start very light and increase pressure as needed. Maybe I'm wrong, but I was thinking its about taking away any oxidation on the edge. It really is about light pressure. Additionally, the condition of the strop is is critical. I have a vintage Illinois horsehide strop that is slick as a baby's butt and it serves up up a shave ready edge every time.
 
BlacknTan

BlacknTan

Member
Far be it from me to question the methods of Liam Finnegan... far more experienced that I.

That said, I don't pull my strop super tight. While I might not have near as slack as Mr. Finnegan, I do hold quite lightly, and a light touch on the blade also. I usually do 50 laps, and I don't believe that one can over strop... within reason.
 
AndyD914

AndyD914

Well-known member
20 linen, 20 leather seems to be just right for me. I’ve relaxed tension slightly over the years but not near what that feller in the video did 😊
 
Razorfaust

Razorfaust

New member
Yeah I dont know whats best I've tried 20 I have tried 200. There is a point that the razor is stropped and it ain't gonna get more stropped.
 
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