Thread: Stropping a wedge?

Do you guys have any tips for properly stropping a wedge grind? I have a Reynolds 7/8 wedge and I use Tony's Red Laitgo w/ genuine linen canvas. Is it different that a hollow grind? It certainly is silent.

I have the same razor and a latigo strop also and those wedges make no sound at all, its like stropping a butter knife, but after a 100 on leather its good to go.

Don't worry about the lack of sonic feedback, that's just down to the difference in grind. The method is the same, taut strop, spine in contact with strop at all times. A well stropped blade is just that, irrespective of grind. If you haven't already, have a read of this page in the Wiki.

Warning, wild speculation ahead.

A hollow grind forms a triangle strop-spine-edge. A true wedge would lie flat on a strop which is pulled taut. Would it not therefore make sense to allow for a limited amount of slack in the strop?

Originally Posted by BeBerlin

Warning, wild speculation ahead.

A hollow grind forms a triangle strop-spine-edge. A true wedge would lie flat on a strop which is pulled taut. Would it not therefore make sense to allow for a limited amount of slack in the strop?

Yeah, I see your point. A hanging strop would give that slack anyway as far as I can see though and, I suspect (without any data whatsoever to back up my suspicion), that a paddle would too. Actually,thinking about it, wouldn't the bevel on a true wedge, assuming the spine hadn't been taped during honing, be consistent with the entire blade and so it wouldn't be issue. Equally, I have yet to see a genuinely true wedge. You've made my brain explode a little here, Robin, it's too early on a Sunday morning for this.

Stropping is stropping and you strop all razors the same be it a hollow, wedge or Japanese. A wedge makes no sound as you strop. That's just the way it is.

I strop everything the same.
Also, I never strive to keep the strop incredibly taut. There's tension there, but it's not rigid tight. I never have any problems, & I'm very happy with the edges.

Stropping, & indeed shaving with a wedge, can be slightly disconcerting at first if you're used to hollows.

Originally Posted by BeBerlin

Warning, wild speculation ahead.

A hollow grind forms a triangle strop-spine-edge. A true wedge would lie flat on a strop which is pulled taut. Would it not therefore make sense to allow for a limited amount of slack in the strop?

Hi BeBerlin,

I have to respectfully say it would probably not be a good idea. You'll round of the edge and would have no control over your edge bevel since you're bound to use different tension when using the strop, thereby creating variable slack in the strop every time.
A truly flat ground / wedge steel would be stropped all over the surface, including the edge which has the same angle as the wedge itself.

I strop everything the same, but then I have a slight amount of sag in the strop anyway, say 2-3mm.

I never hold the strop drumskin tight. Apart from the fact it hurts my arm I find I get better results with a small amount of sag.

Strops sag slightly as you use them, and you'd only start to round the edge off if you used loads of sag and loads of pressure. Certainly I've never had any adverse effects from having that small amount of sag there, and I'me very happy with the edges I'm getting.

Sorry to hijack the thread a little, but here's a question: If you hone with tape, should you strop with tape?

Moreover, if there's one layer of tape, can you strop without tape? What about 2 layers? How many layers of tape -in honing- means that you'll need tape when stropping? Is there a fairly agreed upon number, or is it guesswork?