Thread: Stropping Wrong?

I have been having a problem with sharpness from the git go. I thought it might be my honeing. It was suggested I get my razor honed by a pro so I would have something to go by. I bought another DOVO, this one really shave ready, (honed by Lynn) and now I have 2 full hollow
5/8 DOVO razors to play with. When my new one was in need of a touch up I honed both using just the bottom end of the pyramids on my 4k/8k Nortons, followed by red paste on the cloth side of my first strop a 1&3/4"
Dovo. Next I stropped only the new razor on my new 3" latigo, the leather only. Next I tried shaving with both razors. The one I finnished only with the paste was good and sharp, shaved very well, with just a little pull. The razor I finnish stropped on the leather was real smooth but didn't cut very well at all. So my question is what am I doing wrong on the leather stropp? I follow all the advise I have gotton here, and on Lynn's DVD.

Originally Posted by squarerigg

... When my new one was in need of a touch up I honed both using just the bottom end of the pyramids on my 4k/8k Nortons, ...

Comments from someone who is not so good at honing, but still may be able to help ...

First, a question. How long (or how many shaves) did your new Dovo go before it was in need of a touch up? "New" and "need of a touch up" don't seem to go together too well.

I think using the 4K hone goes beyond "touch up."

I believe the razor that came shave ready from Lynn was finished with a higher grit stone than 8K.

I would say after about two weeks of shaving and stropping. and yes I do believe I need something finer than an 8K or red paste to make it smoother. The real funny thing is they both seem to shave much better if I stay away from the 3" latigo strop? right off the red paste on the linen
they both shave good, and if I take to the leather only I have a dull razor right away! I ordered a new bismark, which came today, and it also has been honed by lynn. After its first use I will be very leary about stropping it

Definitely take a good long look at all the stropping info you can find. I did it all kinds of wrong for the first month and a half until finally getting the hang of it recently. Also, be on the look out for a barbers hone or chinese 12k to touch up your blades. Either of those combined with a CO pasted strop ought to keep you going for quite some time.

Originally Posted by DPflaumer

Definitely take a good long look at all the stropping info you can find. ...

Yup -- looks like your stropping is the culprit! This is very important so I wold make it a priority to work on that. Study and practice!

You have solved you own problem. Since the razor seems to deteriorate after plain leather stropping that's it.

Solutions? Watch you pressure on the strop, watch how you turn at the end of your stroke, watch your angle stropping, watch how you hold the strop. Use an x pattern as you strop if your not now. It does take practice. Stropping is very underated by many yet is very important and is deceptively more difficult to master than most think.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

You have solved you own problem. Since the razor seems to deteriorate after plain leather stropping that's it.

Well, *identified* the problem anyway.

Solutions? Watch you pressure on the strop, watch how you turn at the end of your stroke, watch your angle stropping, watch how you hold the strop. Use an x pattern as you strop if your not now. It does take practice. Stropping is very underated by many yet is very important and is deceptively more difficult to master than most think.

I say if you are still on your first strop you still need more practice!

Thanks to you all, I am sure there is no-where else on this dern internut anyone could get that much help that fast! I intend to practice more, and go over all I can find on stropping again! It has to be me, the strop is just to purdy to be any part of it!