Greg Ives Video - Stropping Advice

[EL Alamein]

Does anyone remember this oldie but goodie DVD/Video that was sold about a decade ago?

I have it and it's been many years since I've watched it but the one bit about stropping struck a cord with me at the time. I believe he advises stropping with the razor angled, point/toe leading so that the whole blade is on the strop. I remember this resonating with me at the time of viewing as it was how my barber showed me how to strop when I was but a 12 year old teen in the early 1980's. He didn't mention that it was important to keep the razor in this configuration but showed me that's how to strop. According to the Greg Ives video it was supposed to align the microscopic teeth of the razor with the angle of honing with the X stroke. I did this for years with good and bad technique, I conjecture, and got away from it in the last few years. I was trying new techniques and reveling in their effectiveness. They seemed good and I felt I was learning.

Lately in the last week or so I've experimented with this Greg Ives stropping technique combined with a more slack strop Finnegan approach. At this point it is imprudent to make any conclusions but it *seems* that the edge is keener when doing so. More to come on that.

Just wanted to see if anyone else remembers this and if they use the technique. Any thoughts?

Chris

[EL Alamein]

I'm getting mileage out of this method stropping, especially on a leather strop with heavy draw (my Dovo wide strop purchased about a decade ago from Classicshaving when Ray was still selling them).

This method of stropping does seem to give some benefit as I've observed the same blade stropped in a vintage Shell horsehide strop (very slick in it's feeling) give good HHT feedback go to excellent HHT feedback when followed by using this method with a heavy draw strop. I wonder why. Anyway, I'll keep experimenting with this.

Chris

[EL Alamein]

So I got this wrong! I had a chance today to dig out that old video (11 years old now) and review it. It was tough because whatever format they used doesn't play well on a modern laptop. Anyway, Greg does advise angling the blade so that the whole razor is on the strop when stropping BUT he leads with the heal.

The human memory is again validated as one of the worst recallers of facts.

I am thinking now that I may have been recalling a post on a forum that recommended the toe leading when stropping. Take my memory with a grain of salt.

Wherever I saw it I remember it resonating with me. Perhaps I should try heal leading? Does it matter at all? I am inclined to think toe leading is best based on experimenting in the past. But as with all things in this art one must try it themselves to find their preferred road to Rome.

I'll probably be trying both ways again soon .

Shaved again with replica blade and it was outstanding.

More to come.

Chris

[drmoss_ca]

My problem with wide strops is their tendency to curve. I do have an ancient Illinois that is thick, hard, black and shiny. Unquestionably older than I am. It stays flat, but has little draw. My retry last year of the 3" Dovo went pear-shaped after applying a little yellow paste. So I'm sticking with my favourite red russians, and I strop in two deliberate stages: heel on the near edge of the strop, then point on the far edge of the strop. In more lifetimes that I have available this could make a razor frown as there is an overlap that means the middle of the blade gets more stropping, but I doubt it will worry me! I still find that a relaxed strop that bends up to caress the edge is best for shave smoothness.

Chris

[EL Alamein]

My problem with wide strops is their tendency to curve. I do have an ancient Illinois that is thick, hard, black and shiny. Unquestionably older than I am. It stays flat, but has little draw. My retry last year of the 3" Dovo went pear-shaped after applying a little yellow paste. So I'm sticking with my favourite red russians, and I strop in two deliberate stages: heel on the near edge of the strop, then point on the far edge of the strop. In more lifetimes that I have available this could make a razor frown as there is an overlap that means the middle of the blade gets more stropping, but I doubt it will worry me! I still find that a relaxed strop that bends up to caress the edge is best for shave smoothness.

Chris

Dr. Moss, Yes, curving has been an issue with me too (even with Magic Strop), but not with the Dovo wide strop I have nor the Red Russian 30 degree version. I count myself lucky in that regard as I've read other posts regarding this problem with those models. I think in the end it may be hit or miss with them.

Remember the (I think) old Yahoo SRP postings on how to reconditon a strop? Didn't some folks recommend that a strop be allowed to dry and flatten compressed under a heavy flat object to avoid such problems? I confess that I haven't done such a thing since then (now more than a decade later) but it seemed to work at the time.

Chris