Often overlooked because all the attention is given to hones and honing Honestly proper stropping can do more to make or break a finely honed edge then most realize The three stages of SR stropping: #1 Trying to do no harm, Actually during this stage a bench/paddle strop or placing the hanging strop along the edge of a table or counter can help teach the "Flip" #2 Doing no harm, This is when the new guy finally manages to stop rolling edges and nicking the strop, the "flip" is pretty smooth and the actual stropping pattern is realized rather than going straight up and down the strop #3 Actually improving the edge, Finally you have a smooth light stroke with a pattern that moves the spine and therefore the edge evenly and equally across the strop... You can now take a Meh edge and strop it back in to peak performance... It is also at this point when you begin to realize the importance of a Hanging strop being able to adjust tension to match the razor Yes is is very true "Stropping is Often Underrated"
I rolled some edges early in my day. Glen was more than gracious as he took them back and got 'em right for no charge (he did, and still does, all the sharpening for me). Since then I've been good. The flip seemed to come easy enough for me; I think there's only one or two nicks on my strop. Folks, if you're having problems getting the muscle-memory down for stropping, why not practice with a butter knife?
Yeah I nicked my first one in like 8 spots. After about 3 months I really got my technique down very nice: it’s not about speed even though I can go really fast: I prefer a nice upbeat Steady rhythm
I use a wide strop and stick to "straight up and down the strop." Mostly because I'm too uncoordinated to do the fancy X-pattern thang. I doubt that will ever change, because I SERIOUSLY lack the manual dexterity required. I tried to be a magician once, but due to my lack of dexterity, it didn't turn out so well. I ended up being a "comedy magician" quite by accident. THAT little endeavor didn't last very long. Some of us are doomed to forever be straight-line stroppers, I think. - Bax Founder, Society of Straight Line Stroppers (SSLS)
For you straight up and down guys... The X pattern is used for one reason, "Moving the Spine evenly and equally up down and across the strop" same as Honing BUT The X is NOT the only pattern, much faster and easier IMHO is the race track pattern doing a oval over the strop accomplishes the same thing as the X without near as many Tip digs or cuts The flip I think is actually more natural while doing it to.. Just something to try out, I am X pattern challenged myself, I was taught the Racetrack oval from the Barber that got me started using SR's back in 81 try it see if it works better for you...
as a guitarist I started out playing air guitar. as a stropper I started out air stropping I didn't even need the butter knife LOL QUOTE="swarden43, post: 1949224, member: 2221"]I rolled some edges early in my day. Glen was more than gracious as he took them back and got 'em right for no charge (he did, and still does, all the sharpening for me). Since then I've been good. The flip seemed to come easy enough for me; I think there's only one or two nicks on my strop. Folks, if you're having problems getting the muscle-memory down for stropping, why not practice with a butter knife?[/QUOTE]
[/QUOTE] It sounds like you are starting out right. with a couple of well honed razors, and good stropping techniques, you shouldn't need to look at a stone for a couple of years.
but I am also a professional air whetstoneer LOL. I haven't messed a single one up yet. and even shewed a few flies away in the process. actually I have two stones I think one of them is a thousand and 5,000 and my other one is,000 I don't do much more than sharpen scissors with them because I only have two razors and I only shave with them very rarely this is more of a hobby for me but when I started playing drums in a band by the time I got hurt and it all ended I was a better guitarist than most guitarists I played bass keyboards I wrote copy wrote published produced and recorded 100 songs I get bored really easy so I already have everything I need except the knowledge so I can take all the time I need. it would be nice to get good enough to make a few dollars to order a pizza once in awhile but it's all good LOL. I'll leave out the 2 weeks of finger cuts healing time. I even cut the palm of my hand LOL I thought I was going to need stitches I completely soak the towel in blood I never saw so much blood in my life LMAO. I have watched every video and read everything and I know the proper way to do it and I think as long as I go slow and don't make the mistakes that I know I have a chance of making, who knows. this is why I generally only talk to people that I know know what they're doing I used to take advice from people that I thought knew what they were doing LOL which left me in a state of not knowing what I'm doing OTE="DaltonGang, post: 2052238, member: 17101"][/QUOTE] It sounds like you are starting out right. with a couple of well honed razors, and good stropping techniques, you shouldn't need to look at a stone for a couple of years.[/QUOTE]
