That was one of the best stropping videos I have ever seen, and by far the most information on the hows and whys - a lot of videos do not give detailed explanations, and you give plenty of information and good examples of form in your technique. That was really excellent. Thank you.
hey man both of those strops are not good really, and also ebay is not also good for everything, i am a top rated powerseller on ebay so i buy everything from ebay but this company RupRazor has really high quality strops, i got one called "filly" for $22 shipped! and its double sided with compound already on the back, you really need to type that company in and look at there strops because its free shipping and they are REALLY GOOD look at online forums type it in. i spent hours researching
for all you straight blade experts i have a question: i have a canvas strop(oldschool eyy) and i was wondering if its junk? its brand new almost but i see everyone using leather
Hey thanks for your time. This video inspired me to strop my knives. I just got my ka bar mule to pass the hair test and I made my own leather strop out of sheath making supplies
As someone who is knew to straight razor shaving, this is a great vid for me. I stropped wrong the first time and had a terrible shave. Looking forward to trying my hand at stropping again after watching this vid.
Thank you very much. I had some nightmarishly demotivational problems with dullness that you covered right at the beginning of this. I honed just fine, but was killing my edge by pressing too hard into my strop.
This was a very informative video, thanks i just got my first straight cause i have extremely think and coarse hair on my face, a full beard if you will to shave and it grows back in by the end of the day so the buying blades all the time had to go. i do need to buy stones and ones to look out for as a better one to own. and the multi stropping strap idea is a very good one in deed. i tried shaving thinking factory sharpend but it was like ripping (grabbing) hard, so i'm doing research right now
Thank you for this instructional video. I thought my tough beard was dulling my razor quickly. Turns out I was stropping incorrectly. I was not lying it flat with both the edge and the spine touching the leather. Thanks for taking the time to post this.
@luigi2999 YES i do it all the the time, in my personal experience always use a fine grit stone before stropping but dont go mad, just so it keys the edge in abit you will hardly notice what the stone has done, also put oil on your leather and DONT over strop it, you will dull it again (no more than 40 strokes) and remember ALWAYS TURN THE BLADE AFTER EVERY STROKE or it wont work
@bsmyn0708 a strop and hone serve different purposes. strop preps the blade just before shaving, hone is used to sharpen the blade from time to time. strop paste is used to add some minor honing power when you strop and i do not recommend it because it can screw up your blade. there is no need to use water when you strop
i have a nice straight razor & strop...but i dont own a hone...do i need one?..or does stroping sharpin it?..ive never had one with a strop.. help plzz
@dezniqqadez imagine the edge of a razor. it is a very thin and at its thinnest point, the metal is somewhat fragmented because of the thinness. a strop helps to align the fragments back to being inline with the thicker part of the blade. this is not sharpening. therefore a strop does not sharpen. a hone sharpens by removing metal to create a thinner and thinner edge. eventually the edge will wear such that the thin portions break off and edge then becomes thicker. a hone gets you back to thin.
@plexuss okay..so how often to i need it to be honed?...i cut a lotta hair n do i lot of razor lines...how much do hones run for???..or can i get it done some where? sorry for all the questions
@dezniqqadez it really depends on the razor and how you use it. you can tell if its getting dull. it will "pull" more and you'll be more inclined to get cuts. it seems counter-intuitive but the sharper it is the less likely you are to cut yourself. usually one or twice a year. you can get a hone from leevalley. ideally you want a 4000 and 8000 grit hone. they sell one that has both laminated together. its made by Norton. its not cheap but its good. around $100. or use ebay/google.
@dezniqqadez you should strop before shaving. you just have to make sure you do it right. the set you bought might be ok. you will have to be careful with that strop as it is very narrow. really watch my video it will show you the technique. also most new blades are not ready to be shaved with even if they say it is. you might be able to find a barber who knows how to hone. or go to the straightrazorplace dt com forum for help.
Very Helpfull !!!!!! Thanks for making this video. I bought a straight razor and had my first shave today. It actually went really well. However I did have some questions about stropping. I got this package deal . The razor, the razor strap and everything. It's awesome. Again thanks for helping and happy shaving. : )
Why do you make ten to twenty passes before shaving? I mean, what makes you decide whether to stop at ten passes or keep stropping till twenty? Thanks :-)
@egarrulo experience. you can try shaving after say 10 strokes and see how your razor is. then the next time try 20. if there is no difference, then you only need to use 10. i have found that 20 covers most blades.
@MindBullets2142 to be honest, i only use the leather side unless its a freshly honed razor, then i will use the canvas as well a few times until the blade is clean. i think really, you should use the canvas first and then the leather, the clean off the metal bits.
hey man, my dovo is getting some rust on the hinge! what do i do with it? is there also some kind of oil I need to put on the razor to store it? thanks
ive got gold plate on my spine. want to strop quickly as u've shown, but without scratching off the gold plate by rubbing the spine a little as shown.
At home I would go with a decent hone, and strop. When traveling however I strop with a leather belt. If necessary It is even possible to hone with a canvas belt and whitening toothpaste, which has characteristics surprisingly similar to polishing compound. These solutions are less than ideal and take both time and practice, but they work in a pinch.
I should also add that to do this your belt must be able to lie perfectly flush with a flat surface any kinks or twists will cause problems. Also you will want smooth non-coated leather. I use a DOVO full hollow ground 5/8 razor, and have no problems for simple touch ups and finishing.
i am in the proces of making my own streight razor.....the first time i shaved my head with it....i think it was about half as sharp as needed....got the job done...but lots of cuts.....no i know a little bit more........
Plexuss...AWESOME video! I'm a member of SRP, and I'm actually in the market for a new strop. I'm thinking about the DOVO "Extra Wide" Russian Leather Strop found on classicshaving [dot] com. What do you think of THAT strop?
I'm sure by now you've found the answer(s) you were looking for, but just in case you haven't, you should check out straightrazorplace [dot] com. It's a great website and the members there are so friendly! Everybody helps each other out there. :)
Hey I just have a few questions, if I was to take up straight razor shaving, would I only need one strop, because you mentioned you use three. Where could I get a good razor and strop in Toronto and how much do they cost, individually? Thank you.
i'm new to using straigth razor, i just bought one. do i have to purchase a strop or can i use any leather belt. i just don't want to invest in a strop and find that i don't like to use a straight razor. also do i need to hone the blade even if its brand new
for the hanging hair test, i must say nay. a barber that is well seasoned in straight razors told me that the best way to test blade sharpness is to thoroughly wet your non shaving hands thumbnail with saliva. lightly hold your razor on the rivet that holds the blade and handles together and just with the weight of the blade, drag it across your thumb nail. it should have a constant slight dragging feeling. if it grabs your nail or slides too easily then it needs to be stropped
Hey...can someone please help me?! bought a new dovo bismarck razor..its not sharp enough to cut me or the hair on my arm. So i havent stropped or shaved with it yet. will stropping resolve this? Do dovo normally sell blunt razors which you need to get sharpened yourself?! seems insane..Please help..thanks
I wouldnt think that stropping would resolve you problem, it soulds like you need to hone your blade. you might want to go by an oldschool barber shop and ask them (perferrably and older gentleman) if they could show you how to hone or even if they could hone it for you. older barbers get quite excited when someone askes about straight razor shaving and they are also a fountain of knowledge on the subject.
Yes, strop master... you unfortunately have a new fan. i have a green strop on a piece of wood that works excellently! i love knives and sharpening them. so, just like there is knife knowledge on pros cons for what situation, quality overall, puposes of what material, and prices of these online. can you tell me as much as you know about strops too because its an important part and something that i know little about. i hold a hair between my fingers and cut it in two in mid air but id like info.
HELP! When i strop with the spine laying on it (let it lay flat) it doesnt sound like it's being sharpened, like the edge doesnt touch the stop at all. The sound only comes when i use a 25 degree angle, but still it's not that sharp at all :S and it just got honed!
honing does NOT sharpen the blade. magnified, the edge of the blade is actually still rough. there is also serrations in the edge caused by the honing. this causes a small burr along the edge. stropping smooths this burr back to being close to straight there-by making the edge sharper. the key to stropping is not to press hard. just a feather touch. the blade can be dulled if you press too hard while stropping and may need to be re-honed.
yes you need a hone, but if you take good care of your razor (stropping correctly) you only really need to hone once every other month or so. the canvas side is rougher and de-burs the razor but also heats the blade up to make it softer for stropping on the leather side.
Plexuss -- is the spine supposed to be resting flat against the strop? or raised a bit? I heard the high-pitched noise is a sign of effective stropping, but in order to do that, you need to raise the spine off the strop a bit.
I'm just getting started after being a slave to the disposable razor companies for too long. Thank you so much for this as I've had the whole kit sitting around for awhile, unsure of techniques etc.! I feel much more informed and confident to get going now. Thanks mate!
I'd just like to thank you for this video. I've had a lot of problems shaving with my new straight razor and I think it's because of my stropping technique. I finally got tired of having issues straight-razor shaving and came to youtube. I hope this video helps me get back on track to great shaves.
You missed the abrasive paste. I started using a lot of abrasive paste. Now I have little, but it is not needed as much. The abrasive ensures even a smoother strapping. I noticed that only with the abrasive you sometimes can manage to resharpen your blade. I keep another firm strap without abrasive.
Wow. Very organized, and very thorough. I really appreciate this video. I recently received as a gift two straight razors and a canvas/leather strop set and accessories. I am considering strop paste, and I'm wondering about one thing that wasn't discussed in the video: Did you apply paste once or do you apply it regularly? As you've mentioned, there is conflicting information out there; what works for you and how long have you been using these techniques? Thanks a lot.
Please, see my comment on the next page. You could even skip honing if you use abrasive. Thus, making your blade last longer. I guess that abrasive or strop paste would work better with a fixed strop, like mine.
thanks very much for your help. im 20 and recently converted to a cut throat razor, and this video has really helped me in maintaining a good edge and having a great shave!
This and the honing videos are great. Thanks! Can you do a video on strop maintenance and repair? I'd love to know how to get an antique one worked back into shape like yours.
That was one of the best stropping videos I have ever seen, and by far the most information on the hows and whys - a lot of videos do not give detailed explanations, and you give plenty of information and good examples of form in your technique. That was really excellent. Thank you.
Yellokitti 5 days ago
hey man both of those strops are not good really, and also ebay is not also good for everything, i am a top rated powerseller on ebay so i buy everything from ebay but this company RupRazor has really high quality strops, i got one called "filly" for $22 shipped! and its double sided with compound already on the back, you really need to type that company in and look at there strops because its free shipping and they are REALLY GOOD look at online forums type it in. i spent hours researching
mike212916 5 days ago
for all you straight blade experts i have a question: i have a canvas strop(oldschool eyy) and i was wondering if its junk? its brand new almost but i see everyone using leather
TheKidCannibal 1 month ago
Hey thanks for this video, im a novice to a straight razor and this was good to learn before I male any mistakes
MrRSoul73 1 month ago
That was a good explanation on the differences you found between canvas and leather.
tom360 1 month ago
looool, oot and aboot
Misc77 2 months ago
Comment removed
Misc77 2 months ago
Hey thanks for your time. This video inspired me to strop my knives. I just got my ka bar mule to pass the hair test and I made my own leather strop out of sheath making supplies
RazorDsknives 2 months ago
oh i have a question why do sum strop comes with 2 pieces what is that second clothe like piece that comes with the leather for
SoundwaveSuperior373 2 months ago
As someone who is knew to straight razor shaving, this is a great vid for me. I stropped wrong the first time and had a terrible shave. Looking forward to trying my hand at stropping again after watching this vid.
RockDiesel4 2 months ago
Stropping on the canvas doesn't remove metal, it heats it up so that the leather stropping is more effective.
Gileohi 2 months ago
Cheers mate, very informative.
KrisdashPaul 2 months ago
Hey I like your bathroom and thanks for the tips on stropping!
PushyLittleKid 6 months ago
From your experience, roughly how many shaves until the strop is not enough and you have to move to something coarser, or sharpen?
258bman 7 months ago
@258bman I had read earlier that you can expect 6 months or more from it before you're really in need of a honing
snafoofoo 5 months ago
Thank you very much. I had some nightmarishly demotivational problems with dullness that you covered right at the beginning of this. I honed just fine, but was killing my edge by pressing too hard into my strop.
DarxusC 8 months ago
This was a very informative video, thanks i just got my first straight cause i have extremely think and coarse hair on my face, a full beard if you will to shave and it grows back in by the end of the day so the buying blades all the time had to go. i do need to buy stones and ones to look out for as a better one to own. and the multi stropping strap idea is a very good one in deed. i tried shaving thinking factory sharpend but it was like ripping (grabbing) hard, so i'm doing research right now
DeVilleL13 8 months ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Cut your head off
SquirrelMasterOne 9 months ago
Thank you for this instructional video. I thought my tough beard was dulling my razor quickly. Turns out I was stropping incorrectly. I was not lying it flat with both the edge and the spine touching the leather. Thanks for taking the time to post this.
Steve
91364Steve 10 months ago
Have you used talc powder on your strop?
ammosmith 10 months ago
Love the cat watching then thinks 'wow that's sharp.I am off"
GuildF40 11 months ago
thanks!
Stickman0021 11 months ago
thank u "plexuss" for ur expertise!..i really enjoyed ur instructions..it will definately help! =0]
tornmask 11 months ago
Just getting into knife sharping, this was very helpful, thank you
ihikearoundcom 1 year ago
is it good to strop regular pocket knives?
luigi2999 1 year ago
@luigi2999 YES i do it all the the time, in my personal experience always use a fine grit stone before stropping but dont go mad, just so it keys the edge in abit you will hardly notice what the stone has done, also put oil on your leather and DONT over strop it, you will dull it again (no more than 40 strokes) and remember ALWAYS TURN THE BLADE AFTER EVERY STROKE or it wont work
jolly614 1 year ago
Great videos thanks for adding them.
pbxgod 1 year ago
@bsmyn0708 a strop and hone serve different purposes. strop preps the blade just before shaving, hone is used to sharpen the blade from time to time. strop paste is used to add some minor honing power when you strop and i do not recommend it because it can screw up your blade. there is no need to use water when you strop
plexuss 1 year ago
@mako7828 gee sorry i didnt meet all your needs and requirements. maybe you will have better luck with someone elses videos
plexuss 1 year ago 7
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Jesus fucking christ, all I wanted was to learn how to properly strap not a minute of your running off about your strop length.
mako7828 1 year ago
@mako7828 You seem overly sensitive about length. Don't worry..... it's not everything.
aTellerOfTruths 1 year ago 5
The ladies like it longer and wider, too.
cjcurrie007 1 year ago
i have a nice straight razor & strop...but i dont own a hone...do i need one?..or does stroping sharpin it?..ive never had one with a strop.. help plzz
dezniqqadez 1 year ago
@dezniqqadez imagine the edge of a razor. it is a very thin and at its thinnest point, the metal is somewhat fragmented because of the thinness. a strop helps to align the fragments back to being inline with the thicker part of the blade. this is not sharpening. therefore a strop does not sharpen. a hone sharpens by removing metal to create a thinner and thinner edge. eventually the edge will wear such that the thin portions break off and edge then becomes thicker. a hone gets you back to thin.
plexuss 1 year ago
@plexuss okay..so how often to i need it to be honed?...i cut a lotta hair n do i lot of razor lines...how much do hones run for???..or can i get it done some where? sorry for all the questions
dezniqqadez 1 year ago
@dezniqqadez it really depends on the razor and how you use it. you can tell if its getting dull. it will "pull" more and you'll be more inclined to get cuts. it seems counter-intuitive but the sharper it is the less likely you are to cut yourself. usually one or twice a year. you can get a hone from leevalley. ideally you want a 4000 and 8000 grit hone. they sell one that has both laminated together. its made by Norton. its not cheap but its good. around $100. or use ebay/google.
plexuss 1 year ago
@plexuss so they stay sharp for a lonngg time?..do i strop more often?
dezniqqadez 1 year ago
@dezniqqadez you should strop before shaving. you just have to make sure you do it right. the set you bought might be ok. you will have to be careful with that strop as it is very narrow. really watch my video it will show you the technique. also most new blades are not ready to be shaved with even if they say it is. you might be able to find a barber who knows how to hone. or go to the straightrazorplace dt com forum for help.
plexuss 1 year ago
@plexuss okay,thankks alot man.
dezniqqadez 1 year ago
where can you get a strop other than the internet? and how much is an average cost for something like the long strop the he has on the video?
FLYBOY7777777 1 year ago
@FLYBOY7777777 I paid $25 for it at a flea market.
plexuss 1 year ago
Very Helpfull !!!!!! Thanks for making this video. I bought a straight razor and had my first shave today. It actually went really well. However I did have some questions about stropping. I got this package deal . The razor, the razor strap and everything. It's awesome. Again thanks for helping and happy shaving. : )
7890bn 1 year ago
Very fine demonstration.
artiefun 1 year ago
Authoritative delivery and really useful content. You've effectively given here a complete basic guide to maintaining a razor. Many thanks.
LamhDearg 1 year ago
Why do you make ten to twenty passes before shaving? I mean, what makes you decide whether to stop at ten passes or keep stropping till twenty? Thanks :-)
egarrulo 1 year ago
@egarrulo experience. you can try shaving after say 10 strokes and see how your razor is. then the next time try 20. if there is no difference, then you only need to use 10. i have found that 20 covers most blades.
plexuss 1 year ago
Thank you for your helpful video!
headlesschief 1 year ago
oh man this video is illuminating!!! thank you thank you thank you!!! I went through the frustration you were speaking of today, but no more!!
goorackerelite 1 year ago
Thanks great vidio.
quikjustin 1 year ago
so leather side 20-25 times, canvas 20-25 times, and then 20-25 on the leather?
MindBullets2142 1 year ago
@MindBullets2142 to be honest, i only use the leather side unless its a freshly honed razor, then i will use the canvas as well a few times until the blade is clean. i think really, you should use the canvas first and then the leather, the clean off the metal bits.
plexuss 1 year ago
this iz so cool id love to have a straight razor and learn how to strop
yoNumero1lilMija 1 year ago
couldn't you accidentally cut your hand that is holding the strop?
manor1730 1 year ago
hey man, my dovo is getting some rust on the hinge! what do i do with it? is there also some kind of oil I need to put on the razor to store it? thanks
lobzdik 1 year ago
Thanks so much!
jonlwlp 1 year ago
shave your cat XD
kingofdice66 1 year ago
Thanks for the video.
bluejays01 1 year ago
where do u get a straight razor?? i really want one whered u get urs?? please tell me
ajhgfhgjbjhbjhb 1 year ago
Comment removed
spiderfly1014 1 year ago
Thank you very much, I was stropping the blade the exact opposite.
eru777 1 year ago
ive got gold plate on my spine. want to strop quickly as u've shown, but without scratching off the gold plate by rubbing the spine a little as shown.
any ideas?
richardcadbury 1 year ago
@richardcadbury spines are meant to be honed with the edge if it's a hollow razor... they actually give you the right honing angle.
gushhnet 1 year ago
@gushhnet
Oh yeah i think i've not been clear enough sorry.
I didn't mean rubbing the spine by resting the blade at the correct angle.
I meant rubbing the back of the spine against the strop.
richardcadbury 1 year ago
i bought an older strop from an antique store and when i use it the leather dusts off, is that okay to use?
Rapistface 1 year ago
Shave the cat to show us!
Paripovich 1 year ago 8
i take it you dont have a paste on your canvas/ leather strop?
zzcooperzz 2 years ago
At home I would go with a decent hone, and strop. When traveling however I strop with a leather belt. If necessary It is even possible to hone with a canvas belt and whitening toothpaste, which has characteristics surprisingly similar to polishing compound. These solutions are less than ideal and take both time and practice, but they work in a pinch.
foxholeathiest 2 years ago 2
I should also add that to do this your belt must be able to lie perfectly flush with a flat surface any kinks or twists will cause problems. Also you will want smooth non-coated leather. I use a DOVO full hollow ground 5/8 razor, and have no problems for simple touch ups and finishing.
foxholeathiest 2 years ago
good vid. thankyou. about to get my first straight. very helpful.
Tommyrazzle 2 years ago
Can you strop with a belt? My grandfather did...he even used newspaper sometimes.
goodtimes616 2 years ago 4
@goodtimes616 i use a long piece of cowhide that i had bought off of ebay
Samson163 2 years ago
I was wondering will my stroping tech work if my green strop is made with .5 micron following your process
slayeric82 2 years ago
ive a cut throat razor and i love it but why do ppl think your insane to use an "out dated contraption"?
nmr12z 2 years ago
Thanks. A very well done demonstration. I am planning on soon picking up a straight razor. This will help.
brettona123 2 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Whichever dipshit decided to negative rep my question....FUCK YOU.
soboboo 2 years ago
Lmao.
theoriginalcoolkid 2 years ago
i am in the proces of making my own streight razor.....the first time i shaved my head with it....i think it was about half as sharp as needed....got the job done...but lots of cuts.....no i know a little bit more........
yeknaps 2 years ago
Plexuss...AWESOME video! I'm a member of SRP, and I'm actually in the market for a new strop. I'm thinking about the DOVO "Extra Wide" Russian Leather Strop found on classicshaving [dot] com. What do you think of THAT strop?
soboboo 2 years ago
68,938 people say time to clean your bathroom. lol nice vid...
Sailbadthesinner666 2 years ago
thanks for the great tips:)I just purchased a "C-Mon Cadillac"(Solingen,Germany)
ddrummzz 2 years ago
excellent how to on stropping..perfect
coopersock 2 years ago
Good stuff!
alsmillions 2 years ago 2
hey bro i just bought a Straight Razor .and i wana start to use it but i dont know how .and whats the difrens betwene Honing ,Stropping..help plz
da1bigbird15 2 years ago
I'm sure by now you've found the answer(s) you were looking for, but just in case you haven't, you should check out straightrazorplace [dot] com. It's a great website and the members there are so friendly! Everybody helps each other out there. :)
soboboo 2 years ago
You should just buy a razor idk... it seems easier.. after the blase dulls ..THEN you stropp the razer.. ramember technique technique technique
xXCHEETOBEANXx 2 years ago
did anybody ever try tp use a straight blade on their shlong or nuts??
johnbnia 2 years ago 4
Yes. it was in Sweden back in the early 50's. It was also when a doctor in that country perfected the sex change procedure. Coincidence?
joscobo 2 years ago 2
probably.
InsertNameHere000 2 years ago
If only the Israelis and Palestinians could learn from "nathanbaker88" and "BigDumbJerk". Beautiful!...
Rationalific 2 years ago 9
save money by stropping your disposable razors
malignifier 2 years ago
you watched the Onion video, too, didn't you?
TheMorphineTango 2 years ago
Thanks for this video, it is very helpful.
GilligansDen 2 years ago
you guys lookin for razors need to go to SRP, straightrazorplace. they got tons of info and a classifieds section for razors and accessories
the0ctopus 2 years ago 2
i got my razor from my friends grandfather.
he is a profesional str8 razor guy.
trust me.
i asked him if i could buy one from him
and he ended up giving it to me for my christmas present
nathanbaker88 2 years ago
This is very informative thanks.
Bentrot 2 years ago
i love shaving with my straight razor.
im only 14.
i do have to agree. stropping is very difficult to do it correctly.
if you even want to see a pic of my razor. look on my page.
it is a wade and butcher blade with a custom bloodwood handle.
nathanbaker88 2 years ago
where did u get your straight razor?
gzephier 2 years ago
what do you shave? your legs?
BigDumbJerk 2 years ago
shut up you prick. i shave my fucking face. what do you shave?? your peach fuz of pubes??
nathanbaker88 2 years ago
settle down little boy. boy youre aggressive for someone whos balls havent even dropped yet.
BigDumbJerk 2 years ago
even if my balls havent dropped. its better than not having any of them at all SiR?
now you should be able to answer that for me... XD
nathanbaker88 2 years ago
quit talking about your balls, and my balls. what does that have to do with stropping?
BigDumbJerk 2 years ago
i dont know.. im sorry for being a jerk.
i would only hope that you except my apology and
forgive me for being such a dick...
but yea. i do shave my face. :/
nathanbaker88 2 years ago 2
no problem dude Im sorry too. That was big of you to apologize. I was only kidding about the leg thing.
BigDumbJerk 2 years ago 8
its ok. i forgive you. :D
nathanbaker88 2 years ago 4
@nathanbaker88 @BigDumbJerk You two deserve a medal. Everyone should learn from you.
AdamsTeinz 9 months ago
they asked you aboot your stropping technique?
ezzyfuzzmann 2 years ago
can i use my belt if i cant afford a strop?
buttah4269 2 years ago
No!
sabaths1fan 2 years ago
Thanks so much!
nabreucow 2 years ago
Hey I just have a few questions, if I was to take up straight razor shaving, would I only need one strop, because you mentioned you use three. Where could I get a good razor and strop in Toronto and how much do they cost, individually? Thank you.
GShepardP 2 years ago
decent strops are 40 dollar range. minimum.
the0ctopus 2 years ago
That's wassup, appreciate you taking your time out, to educate us young razor users.
God Bless : )
Christar777 2 years ago
Thank you for this. I'm considering buying a straight razor and this has been very helpful in figuring out how to strop.
TensileStrength 2 years ago
2:56 down in the bottom you can see his cat...i love cats.
GameGuru1000 2 years ago
noop not cutting hair without holding it on one end...but i'm a girl so...my hair is thinner?
MaxC17 3 years ago
Where did you buy the long strop? I'm trying to find one that ships to Canada but minus the over charging...or is there a shop?
MaxC17 3 years ago
i got it at a flea market in toronto for about $20.
plexuss 3 years ago
i'm a pro blade-duller.. i cant use my straight razor anymore because i only make it dull with my stropping :S
ImDino 3 years ago
How often do you hone the blade?
sharpie443 3 years ago
once or twice a year usually
boreham92 3 years ago
i'm new to using straigth razor, i just bought one. do i have to purchase a strop or can i use any leather belt. i just don't want to invest in a strop and find that i don't like to use a straight razor. also do i need to hone the blade even if its brand new
freshfromla 3 years ago
for the hanging hair test, i must say nay. a barber that is well seasoned in straight razors told me that the best way to test blade sharpness is to thoroughly wet your non shaving hands thumbnail with saliva. lightly hold your razor on the rivet that holds the blade and handles together and just with the weight of the blade, drag it across your thumb nail. it should have a constant slight dragging feeling. if it grabs your nail or slides too easily then it needs to be stropped
fireduckproductions 3 years ago
Hey...can someone please help me?! bought a new dovo bismarck razor..its not sharp enough to cut me or the hair on my arm. So i havent stropped or shaved with it yet. will stropping resolve this? Do dovo normally sell blunt razors which you need to get sharpened yourself?! seems insane..Please help..thanks
yahoochiewatchie 3 years ago
I wouldnt think that stropping would resolve you problem, it soulds like you need to hone your blade. you might want to go by an oldschool barber shop and ask them (perferrably and older gentleman) if they could show you how to hone or even if they could hone it for you. older barbers get quite excited when someone askes about straight razor shaving and they are also a fountain of knowledge on the subject.
fireduckproductions 3 years ago
Yes, strop master... you unfortunately have a new fan. i have a green strop on a piece of wood that works excellently! i love knives and sharpening them. so, just like there is knife knowledge on pros cons for what situation, quality overall, puposes of what material, and prices of these online. can you tell me as much as you know about strops too because its an important part and something that i know little about. i hold a hair between my fingers and cut it in two in mid air but id like info.
ColdSteelcollecter 3 years ago 2
your cat wants to see some damn stropping!
ebedaemegeh 3 years ago 4
HELP! When i strop with the spine laying on it (let it lay flat) it doesnt sound like it's being sharpened, like the edge doesnt touch the stop at all. The sound only comes when i use a 25 degree angle, but still it's not that sharp at all :S and it just got honed!
ImDino 3 years ago
honing does NOT sharpen the blade. magnified, the edge of the blade is actually still rough. there is also serrations in the edge caused by the honing. this causes a small burr along the edge. stropping smooths this burr back to being close to straight there-by making the edge sharper. the key to stropping is not to press hard. just a feather touch. the blade can be dulled if you press too hard while stropping and may need to be re-honed.
plexuss 3 years ago
If you stropped with ANY angle you probable rolled the edge and will have to be re-honed.
Keep it up, great shaves await you.
rongallant 3 years ago
i love shaving so much, i use the whole art of shaving pack and all but i think the only thing that is missing is a straight razor =)
ImDino 3 years ago
whats the purpose of the canvass side? and do you need a stone?
stevestone88 3 years ago
yes you need a hone, but if you take good care of your razor (stropping correctly) you only really need to hone once every other month or so. the canvas side is rougher and de-burs the razor but also heats the blade up to make it softer for stropping on the leather side.
agskennedy 3 years ago
Thanks! This should help me out, and if you ever decide to shave that kitty make sure you let us watch
Trigcure 3 years ago 4
thanks you very much indeed!
biocida 3 years ago
I love how the cat is randomly walking around. Thanks for the advice on stropping.
IvixHira 3 years ago
Excellent series thanks ! Run to practice now :-)
jasonsfellow 3 years ago
meaow
yiremi23 3 years ago
I would advise against using strop paste.
Leadboy 3 years ago
Why? Stropping paste works great if you know what you're doing.
orangecountytravis 3 years ago
Plexuss -- is the spine supposed to be resting flat against the strop? or raised a bit? I heard the high-pitched noise is a sign of effective stropping, but in order to do that, you need to raise the spine off the strop a bit.
DrewGags 4 years ago
Yes, the spine should be resting on the strop and No the spine does not need to raised off the strop to get the "noise"
orangecountytravis 3 years ago
I'm thinking about shaving with a straight edge razor, thanks for the help!
rossabo 4 years ago
I'm just getting started after being a slave to the disposable razor companies for too long. Thank you so much for this as I've had the whole kit sitting around for awhile, unsure of techniques etc.! I feel much more informed and confident to get going now. Thanks mate!
williamstdog9 4 years ago
I'd just like to thank you for this video. I've had a lot of problems shaving with my new straight razor and I think it's because of my stropping technique. I finally got tired of having issues straight-razor shaving and came to youtube. I hope this video helps me get back on track to great shaves.
OBELISK79 4 years ago
Very well done. It's nice to see some videos out there for guys who are just starting out!
jpschubbs 4 years ago 2
good video
aidanmcannon1983 4 years ago
Thanks for posting, very informative. How often should you hone a blade?
stankwho 4 years ago
good video
jacksonmaxon 4 years ago
You missed the abrasive paste. I started using a lot of abrasive paste. Now I have little, but it is not needed as much. The abrasive ensures even a smoother strapping. I noticed that only with the abrasive you sometimes can manage to resharpen your blade. I keep another firm strap without abrasive.
I also, use my hand as a final strapping.
betoian 4 years ago
dude shave your cat do it :]
SCOBYsnacks 4 years ago 8
Wow. Very organized, and very thorough. I really appreciate this video. I recently received as a gift two straight razors and a canvas/leather strop set and accessories. I am considering strop paste, and I'm wondering about one thing that wasn't discussed in the video: Did you apply paste once or do you apply it regularly? As you've mentioned, there is conflicting information out there; what works for you and how long have you been using these techniques? Thanks a lot.
craplin 4 years ago 3
Please, see my comment on the next page. You could even skip honing if you use abrasive. Thus, making your blade last longer. I guess that abrasive or strop paste would work better with a fixed strop, like mine.
But keep a clean strop. And combine them.
betoian 4 years ago
What is you'r opoion on german strops?
captincaveman89 4 years ago
opoion? opium? oppossum? what??
tatan1234 4 years ago
opinion
captincaveman89 4 years ago
hahaha just teasing man
tatan1234 4 years ago
thanks very much for your help. im 20 and recently converted to a cut throat razor, and this video has really helped me in maintaining a good edge and having a great shave!
ogdengj 4 years ago
very helpful, thanks!
sshukul 4 years ago
good job!
ivotaillefer 4 years ago
This and the honing videos are great. Thanks! Can you do a video on strop maintenance and repair? I'd love to know how to get an antique one worked back into shape like yours.
ulfada 4 years ago
thanx so much im 17 y old but i will shave only with straightrazor
rtt4trte435 5 years ago
If you're anything like I was at 17, just put milk on your face and let that cat lick it off.
ultrakool 3 years ago 2