Thread: Stropping

I have never yet stropped so let me put that out there right now

As I prepare for my first stropping, I see that many suggest trying it with the strop laying on a flat table. I guess that's to take out the variable of tautness. However my question is why doesn't everyone just simply strop like that all the time? Why bother stretching out the strop?

Oh, you beat me to it! I was interested in the same question. ;-)

I have both a paddle strop and hanging strop and get great results with both. My theory is that the hanging strop is more convenient and gives you the ability to 'tune' the taughtness while stropping for people that are really good at it.

For me... I use the paddle strop when I'm honing to finish a blade and the hanging strop for maintenance pre/post.

Very interested to see what others say... Great question!

We don't do it all the time because it is called a "hanging strop", not a "table strop".

No, seriously, do you have a table available in your bathroom? Most of us don't. A hanging strop is designed to be hung anywhere and save space doing so. Once attached to the wall or doorknob or towel rail or whatever, the hanging strop can remain there forever more.

In addition, as your stropping progresses you will find that varying the tautness of a hanging strop (by small degrees) can be a useful exercise on occasion - this is something that cannot be done on a paddle strop or a hanger lying on a table.

In fact, you might say that the hanging strop, of all the strop types, when used in its correct configuration is the strop equivalent of the straight razor in that you have complete control over ever aspect of it - angle in the vertical and horizontal planes, tautness etc. The other kinds of strops all have an inbuilt tautness or stability that to me marks them as the strop equivalent of safety razors.

James.

So, after dragging my kitchen table into the bathroom, the answer occurred to me just after my wife yelled at me. Convienence?

Get yourself a bench strop and then you can strop away on a flat surface to your hearts content. Of course if you don't have a bench near your bathroom to lay it on and a chair nearby to get in the right position it may not work so good.

Well I definitely have enough counter space to lie down a 3" wide piece of leather

I guess I was asking if there are benefits to the hanging style in terms of effectivness...

Not really, but with a full hollow razor (or even a 3/4) a little give prevents rolling the edge as easily from mistakes. On a table real slow you're better off. Add some flair and speed and the give of hanging strop can save you some early rehoning.

it's pretty hard to tell any difference though once you have an error free stroke.