How to Use a Barber Strop

A barber strop can hone your razor.

A strop is a long leather strap that's used to help hone a straight razor to a "razor's edge." When a razor's blade is first sharpened, it's ground on a stone and then wiped clean. That edge is then made even finer by running the blade up and down a strop to shave away even more steel. This process isn't hard, and it should always be done right before a person shaves rather than right after.

Instructions

1. Hang the strop and put tension on it. In order for a leather strop to properly work, it has to be held taut. You should hold the strop with your nondominant hand.

2. Hold the straight razor in your dominant with the blade free and with the blade in between your thumb and forefinger.

3. Pull the blade down the strop away from the cutting edge. When you reach one end of the strop, flip the razor over and drag it back up the strop once again, pulling away from the cutting edge. Continue until you feel the razor is sharp enough. Test the blade against your dampened cheek and see if it shaves comfortably to check the sharpness.

Tips & Warnings

• Don't push down hard while you use a strop. You should only push down with the weight of the razor itself because you're sharpening on such a fine level.

References

• Venus Worldwide: How to Use Straight Razors