Thread: Stopping Frustration

Okay. I admit it. I read numerous posts about guys recommending not spending a lot of money on your first strop. I thought I was different. I am a surgeon after all. I use a scapel every day.

Why is it that when i am pulling the razor back to me I cut the strop. It seems like I am moving the blade forward just a hair and I am nicking my strop.

Any advice other than put my strop up and buy a cheaper one?

Thanks,

Cutter

slow down a lot come to a complete stop before flipping the blade till your muscle memory gets the move down.

If you're using an X pattern, maybe you're putting too much pressure on the edge as the blade is drawn back, slicing into the surface. Can you post pictures?

Don't worry about it. Small nicks don't affect the performance
of the strop, and it happens to (most) everyone at the beginning.

- Scott

What you describe sounds like a problem I had in the beginning. I was a wrist turner and I held the tang between my thumb and in the first joint of the forefinger. I didn't cut the strop but when bringing the razor back to me I would sometimes shave a thin bit of the edge of the strop closest to me.

Reading this 1961 barber manual excerpt from the SRP Wiki help files here had me relearn my stropping. Took some discipline and persistence but I fellowed the recommendation to hold the razor between the tip of the forefinger and the tip of the thumb and strop without turning the wrist.

As the manual says this enabled me to better control the razor and have a light stroke. I also used to hear the blade slap the leather on the return stroke and I was able to stop that too. I don't know if any of this is similar to what is going on with you but if it is try following the manual's suggestions. Last couple of pages is the stropping section.

Originally Posted by leadduck

If you're using an X pattern, maybe you're putting too much pressure on the edge as the blade is drawn back, slicing into the surface. Can you post pictures?

I will try and figure out how to do that. I think you may be right. All of my nicks are at the end of the strop, with that seem to occur at the transition point of turning.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

What you describe sounds like a problem I had in the beginning. I was a wrist turner and I held the tang between my thumb and in the first joint of the forefinger. I didn't cut the strop but when bringing the razor back to me I would sometimes shave a thin bit of the edge of the strop closest to me.

Reading this 1961 barber manual excerpt from the SRP Wiki help files here had me relearn my stropping. Took some discipline and persistence but I fellowed the recommendation to hold the razor between the tip of the forefinger and the tip of the thumb and strop without turning the wrist.

As the manual says this enabled me to better control the razor and have a light stroke. I also used to hear the blade slap the leather on the return stroke and I was able to stop that too. I don't know if any of this is similar to what is going on with you but if it is try following the manual's suggestions. Last couple of pages is the stropping section.

Many thanks to you guys. Jimmy, that is EXACTLY what I am doing. I was trying to pronate my wrist with the the away stroke, and rotating it back with the pull to stroke.

It is good that this doesn't hurt the strop. I bought the SRD 3" paddle, and I really like it.

Many thanks again,

Cutter

Originally Posted by cutter2001

Many thanks to you guys. Jimmy, that is EXACTLY what I am doing. I was trying to pronate my wrist with the the away stroke, and rotating it back with the pull to stroke.

It is good that this doesn't hurt the strop. I bought the SRD 3" paddle, and I really like it.

Many thanks again,

Cutter

It is kind of awkward at first when you change your way of holding the razor. The manual also suggests practicing flipping the razor between the tip of the thumb and forefinger without doing the stroke until you're comfortable with it. Once you get used to the different hold and keeping the wrist from turning it becomes second nature.