Stropping

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Satanfriendly

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LeJog 2022 Finisher
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As suggested together with the Dovo I have also bought a paddle strop. I have looked through a few videos and one or two of them seemed to be stropping the blade with a very shallow angle. Does not one strop at the same angle as the blade would be used on the face? I would be very appreciative if someone could provide a video link to what they think would be the best way to strop. I certainly don't want to go down the wrong road here and naff it up from day one.

Oh and is any form of paste required or just straight on to the strop?

Also like to ask what is the best way to care for the strop itself. Is any form of wax or oil necessary? I do have some very nice Mink oil which I use on boots and wondered if this might suffice.

Again thanks in advance.
 
When you strop, the spine and edge should be on the strop at all times (razor should be flat).

The second you lift the spine (moving closer to the angle used to shave), you put excess pressure on the edge and can roll it or damage it.

So yes - very, very low angle ;) flat on the strop
 
In terms of care, your strop just needs the oil from your hand rubbed into it when you use it, as this helps with stropping too. You can get some yellow brown paste that can keep leather soft too.

To keep your razor sharp for as long as possible you could use chromium oxide paste (the green stuff, in crayon form) - but it does have to be on a second leather surface. Not on your everyday strop. 8 laps after every few uses of the razor would be enough (say after every 4 shaves?) Again, razor flat on strop. Even more important when using paste.
 
Nisse said:
As a newbie I would strop on leather only.
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Completely see where you're coming from, but given (generally) worse technique when you start out, you'll probably need to send your razor out regularly to be honed without any maintenance steps, right?

Honestly happy to be wrong here - just giving my two cents. The way I see it applying CrOx paste isn't difficult and the motion for stropping is the same. I wouldn't use any paste until the 4th shave or so, by which point you've stropped your razor 3 times, either poorly or well. If it's poorly, it probably NEEDS the touch up, and If it was done well then you won't hurt it with paste!! ;)
 
Dansco said:
When you strop, the spine and edge should be on the strop at all times (razor should be flat).

The second you lift the spine (moving closer to the angle used to shave), you put excess pressure on the edge and can roll it or damage it.

So yes - very, very low angle ;) flat on the strop
Click to expand...
Should add here, very light pressure as well. Do not go too hard. Spine first strokes, and roll over on the spine rather than lifting and re positioning the blade.

Lynn does it all above.
 
I was taught to strop by practising with a butter knife on my leg (without the butter)

The important thing with stropping is to control the rotational torque so that the razor maintains good contact with the strop. You control this with your thumb. You can feel this on your leg and you get a sense of how much torque is the correct amount.
 
Stropping is not challenging but repetitive and boring, therein lies the problem at least for me, it is easy to loose focus and miss a beat risking damage to edge and or strop, so I tend to do 15 laps, stop for a second to regroup, then another set of 15 laps.
 
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Nisse said:
Stropping is not challenging but repetitive and boring, therein lies the problem at least for me, it is easy to loose focus and miss a beat risking damage to edge and or strop, so I tend to do 15 laps, stop for a second to regroup, then another set of 15 laps.
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Fortunately I can watch paint dry, wait until it peels off and then repeat. I look forward to be bored shitless stropping my new shaving baby.............
 
seveneighth said:
I was taught to strop by practising with a butter knife on my leg (without the butter)

The important thing with stropping is to control the rotational torque so that the razor maintains good contact with the strop. You control this with your thumb. You can feel this on your leg and you get a sense of how much torque is the correct amount.
Click to expand...

I like the practice technique here. Is butter bad for your leg or something?
 
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