Thread: Question about how newbs butcher strops

I'm not sure myself, I never had this problem myself, and I never found stropping to be that arcane of a skill.

I find that while I am learning, I try to not let myself go too fast. All of the nicks on my practice strop are from going too fast while I am learning. It seems that the nicks become more scarce as time passes.

From all the advice here stropping seems like muscle memory. Easier to learn how to do it right then try to fix bad stropping.

Since I won't give any advice, being a newb I can't. I haven't nicked mine in the 5 months I've been shaving.

Practicing on the strop with a regular butter knife is another technique I have seen recommended her often.

I've been using a butter knife on my forearm, trying to get the flip down. Now that I have my practice strop I'm not doing to bad with the butter knife on it. Hopefully when my blade gets here, I'll be fairly decent.

Most of my strop nicks have come from the razor flipping itself half way through the stroke. It must have had something to do with my grip and perhaps too much pressure on the strop. I have also scratched the strop by drawing too wide an 'X' with a spike tip. That's just me.

X

I took a little chunk out of mine when I finished my stroke and acidently let go of the strop a little to get a better grip

also a few nicks from going too fast when flipping the razor

some people are naturals some are not everybody improves w/ practice though.

I got a couple on mine. I think I got them from flipping before shifting gears. Luckily it's on a filly and not on something more expensive. I'm going to build a 3" horsehide and canvas strop so hopefully I get it down before that.

Be deliberate and even in your strokes as you're building skill and you'll do fine. Always use a trailing edge and you won't harm your strop.

The biggest problem with new guys cutting up strops comes from trying to strop to fast and from letting their attention lapse in the middle of a stroke.

If you keep an even stroke with little pressure and the blade flat on the strop you should do fine. Always turn the strop on the spine. Try not to life up at the end of strokes. It is a fairly simple thing, but like much else here, take a few extra minutes every day and practice. More times than not the new guy will nick up the sides of the strop instead of cutting through it.

Lynn