Thread: Does Stropping Speed Matter?

Originally Posted by FloorPizza

I just found the following post by ben.mid today. The link he suggests is chock full of good info on stropping speed from AFDavis. ... http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...xperiment.html

Makes for interesting reading. I've been getting much better shaves recently and been putting it down to more stropping. But maybe I'm getting faster too?

I think I need to upgrade my puny 12" Dovo strop to get some real speed going.

Originally Posted by Quick

Not sure I buy that Bart. I think the main contribution of speed in this context would be zero (static friction) or non-zero (kinetic friction). After that there may be some difference due to plastic deformation of the strop surface. If we imagine the strop surface to be pliable and bumpy then at a faster speed (same downforce) the razor may "skim" across the tops of the bumps rather than slower when the bumps have time to deform and flatten slightly. If there is any effect like this then going slower would result in more friction due to more surface area being in contact.

And, what about the effect of speed on ~ razor wobble? Imagine a razor traveling from point A to B on a strop. Would going slowly increase the tendency (maybe mostly, or in part due to hand/ finger tension/ relaxation) for the razor to rock and shift (affecting equal pressure of razor against strop). Now imagine that same A to B path traveled at a much greater speed. Would the increased speed overcome the frequencies of rocking and wobbling and result in more even pressures and stropping forces?

Does that make any sense to youse guys?


Scott

Originally Posted by Rajagra

Makes for interesting reading. I've been getting much better shaves recently and been putting it down to more stropping. But maybe I'm getting faster too?

I think I need to upgrade my puny 12" Dovo strop to get some real speed going.

Newbies strop slowly and get so-so shaves; Sr. Members strop quicker and get good shaves; coincidence?

How did this poll get into the newbies corner anyway . . . all you guys should be stropping slowly and carefully!

Don't listen to the old farts trying to corrupt you!

I understand what you're saying... but I don't have a clue as to the effect or non-effect of it. I was thinking that a wobble or vibration might increase with speed. In both frequency and force.


Jees, if you hit a harmonic you might have a strop blowout (just kidding on that last part. I have no idea how these things come into my mind).

Its the harmonics that strop all your 4/8 and 3/8 razors at the same time.

I voted for the doesn't matter choice, because I think technique trumps speed for results... but you still need some speed to get good results anyhow.

Originally Posted by joke1176

I voted for the doesn't matter choice, because I think technique trumps speed for results... but you still need some speed to get good results anyhow.

+1 technique and speed are complimentary.

I vote yes; going as fast as accuracy will allow. Faster definitely feels and sounds different on the strop.

Ok, I've got my own number - I don't vote.

It's interesting what happens to the edge at various speeds, and short of one of these slo-mo cameras I think it may be hard to figure it out.

But my theory is that at faster speeds the pressure on the edge is more uniform.
To use an old example from when Fermi was figuring out the nuclear bomb, it's like a golf ball - at high speed it just goes over the hole, not having time to sink into it. So you'd want your neutrons slow and your strop bumps fast.

I was ready to post on the friction being less, but somebody else has been also paying attention in physics class.

This is a great thread. Thanks for posting it FP!