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Six? SIX? That's crazy. I do it as multiples of four. Six? You're talking gorgonzola when it's clearly brie time.
Straight Razor
- Thread starter missingskin
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After a few email exchanges with Neil, I placed my order yesterday. My treat to myself since I'm off for two weeks soon but not going away anywhere - should allow me LOTS of free time to s-l-o-w-l-y practice straight shaving..... :shave
Quick question though - how many times should you pass the blade back & forward on the strop for a decent stropping? Never seen an answer to this anywhere - is it just a case of everyone doing what works for them best?
Quick question though - how many times should you pass the blade back & forward on the strop for a decent stropping? Never seen an answer to this anywhere - is it just a case of everyone doing what works for them best?
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- 4,260
lagaffe said:
Yes, it´s a case of what´s working for you, everyone strop slightly different aswell. But it´s also a case of which strop/leather you use, some are faster (more abbressive, but that´s not allways better, since a slower process maybe´ll give you a better edge). I guess it´s like honing, if you work your way up slowly on a slow stone you should get a finer and better holding edge. But :lol:, it´s also due to the quality of the stone/strop. Ok, that maybe didn´t help much. I do like this: when I use Neils linnen/buffalo strop I go 20-40 on linnen and then 40-80 on the buffalo side, depending on the blade I strop (if it´s newly honed/very sharp I don´t strop overly much). Sometimes I think I and others strop to much
However, soon Neil will step in and tell you how you should do it :lol: Stroping is however a mystic subject, no one _knows_ exactly what happens, only that it gives an effect.- Messages
- 672
Like Mikael says, it depends on what works for you and the strop you are using.
If you haven't stropped before you need to establish a bench mark. On a plain leather strop try 50 - 60 laps (a lap is one stroke up, one stroke down). If that's good enough, try less until it isn't so good. If it's not good enough, try more.
You can't really overstrop, but you can damage the razor by getting sloppy and making mistakes by stropping for an extended time. Personally, I find that after a point it is a case of diminishing returns, and that point for me is 30 linen and 50 leather.
After some time you will realise that its a subtle interplay involving many factors, such as how taut you pull the strop (try to just pull it firmly, don't use it like a bull-worker), letting it go a little slacker for a smiling blade, how fast you go (you can go too slowly - try for a nice even speed, not the mad barber style of slapping it up and down as fast as possible), whether the blade is fresh off the hone or not, and a host of other things.
Regards,
Neil
If you haven't stropped before you need to establish a bench mark. On a plain leather strop try 50 - 60 laps (a lap is one stroke up, one stroke down). If that's good enough, try less until it isn't so good. If it's not good enough, try more.
You can't really overstrop, but you can damage the razor by getting sloppy and making mistakes by stropping for an extended time. Personally, I find that after a point it is a case of diminishing returns, and that point for me is 30 linen and 50 leather.
After some time you will realise that its a subtle interplay involving many factors, such as how taut you pull the strop (try to just pull it firmly, don't use it like a bull-worker), letting it go a little slacker for a smiling blade, how fast you go (you can go too slowly - try for a nice even speed, not the mad barber style of slapping it up and down as fast as possible), whether the blade is fresh off the hone or not, and a host of other things.
Regards,
Neil