Originally Posted by
Chris L
I don't know, Kevin, I'll never see a time where I'll dispense with stropping. Certainly honing is critical to creating a shave ready edge. But that aside, for me stropping is almost more important that honing for me. That leather just tunes the edges so well and so completely I don't know what else to say.
Chris L
I'm with you though on the beard prep. I'll come right out and say I hate prep. Shaving would be even more enjoyable for me if I could strop, splash one splash of water on my face, whip up some lather, apply and go right into shaving immediately. I would love that. Beard softening is a huge annoyance for me. Part of the problem for me I believe is my ultra hard water. I can hot towel until the cows come home, take a 20 minute shower blasting water directly on my beard and those extremely softened whiskers dry out and harden back up before I can get the lather on them. Prep oil doesn't really seem to help all that much either so I stopped using oil. So, yeah, I hate prep.