Thread: Stropping between hones?

Originally Posted by Srdjan

Anyway, I would say a new Atoma 400 is way too coarse and aggressive for a razor, even one with pits... Not that I've tried one yet, but it's on the list for sure.

That is a perfectly reasonable assumption, but I was happy to find that it is not the case for the Atoma 400. It removes steel quickly but, relatively speaking, it does not leave deep scratches.

Thanks for the replies. They are along the lines of my thinking, but if I had the answers I wouldn't need to ask.

I have never tried stropping between hones before and my experience is to little to make a judgment but brought up my thoughts. I have never had much luck with HHT etc. Arm hair to me is at least a basic test that I can get a little reliability from although there is no set standard to me of that either. I was thinking about posts about shaving from the 8K and even 1k when I thought for giggles I would try the arm with the 400.

As far as the Atoma 400 being course and leaving a toothy edge that makes a lot of sense to me but if it left "really" deep gouges why would a few strokes on the 1K remove them and make the effect less noticeable so quickly?

If removing these teeth makes the arm hair removal less what is the point of trying arm hair as a test?

I can see where stropping could improve the edge at any grit level but is the improvement going to be negated if going to a finer hone?

Maybe it is just to cold of a day and I have to much time to spend indoors and think?

Tim

For my limited experience - once I am satisfied that I have a good bevel - I will strop the razor before moving on.

Occasionally, if I remember or think about it, I will strop after the second stone, my Nani 3k or the Nani 5k....

Yes, stropping on linen, canvas or a pasted strop will make a straighter edge and quicker. You also have the benefit of removing some of the deep stria if pasted.

Try stropping between each stone, but you will see a difference post 1k and or at the 8k or finish stone. There is no down side to this.

Dr. Matt talks about stropping between hones on one of his videos I just watched. Going to try it soon.

Slawman

I know nothing about Honing, but because I Know nothing I have been using a dedicated strop between hones, my stropping is very good so I think it can't hurt. Maybe because I,m such a weak honer, I need the crutch of the strop between them, maybe it's just in my mind but I am getting the edges I like. So don't take my word for it, like Ron said it should not really do anything to he edge if it's right, plus the next hone should do the job without the benefit of the strop. Tc

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

I know nothing about Honing, but because I Know nothing I have been using a dedicated strop between hones, my stropping is very good so I think it can't hurt. Maybe because I,m such a weak honer, I need the crutch of the strop between them, maybe it's just in my mind but I am getting the edges I like. So don't take my word for it, like Ron said it should not really do anything to he edge if it's right, plus the next hone should do the job without the benefit of the strop. Tc

Yeah, this! I'm still learning and refining my honing techniques, as I posted about recently. But one of the tips or tricks I posted about included exactly this. Like TC, I am much more confident in my stropping ability than my honing. In fact, I kind of enjoy the "no-mind" zen aspect of stropping (yeah, I'm weird). So I too have started stropping between hones, about 15 CrOX linen and 50 English bridle, and of course the final post-honing stropping to finish. I notice a definite improvement on each successive higher-grit hone after the 1k (smoother and faster), and noticeably-improved shaves.

Now I am expecting the arrival of my Chosera 1k any day now (which I fell in love with at the Asheville meetup a couple of years ago-it might have been Ron's or Kevin's), and so hopefully improvements at the most-important bevel-setting stage will up my game on the higher grit hones too. We'll see. Aaron