razor-strop

A barber sharpens his straight razor on a leather razor-strop hanging from the wall.

Definition

Noun: - A "razor-strop" is a flexible strip of leather or other material used for sharpening a razor by rubbing the blade against it.

Usage Examples

• (He used the leather strip to sharpen the blade.)
• (The leather sharpening device was well-used.)

Advanced Usage

• "to strop a razor": the act of using a razor-strop to sharpen a blade.

  • He spent a minute stropping his razor on the leather strap. (He sharpened the razor using the strop.)

• "to be on the razor-strop": an idiomatic expression meaning to be in a precarious or tense situation.

  • The negotiations are on the razor-strop; one wrong move could ruin everything. (The situation is very delicate.)

Variants and Related Words

• Strop (n, v): a strip of leather for sharpening razors; also the verb meaning to sharpen with such a strip.

  • He stropped the blade until it gleamed. (He sharpened it on a strop.)

• Razor (n): a sharp-edged tool used for shaving hair.

  • The old man used a straight razor for shaving. (A traditional shaving tool.)

Synonyms

• Sharpening strap: a strap used to hone a blade.
• Honing leather: leather used for final polishing of a blade's edge.

Related Idioms

• "to be on the razor's edge": to be in a critical or highly sensitive state.

  • The company's finances were on the razor's edge after the market crash. (In a very precarious state.)

• "to have a razor-sharp mind": to be extremely intelligent or quick-witted.

  • Her razor-sharp mind solved the puzzle in seconds. (Very sharp intellect.)