Thread: Stropping (unpasted) Essential to Honing?

So I am only a hobby honer and still a newb, but it seems that a blade is consistently better after stropping on plain linen and plain leather after honing. Is this true or am I imagining?

It sounds obvious because stropping helps keep a blade shave ready, but consistently I will finish off of the jnat or thury and it will shave arm hairs great but will barely pass the HHT or "hovering arm hair test" but after stropping +/-25 on linen +/-40 on leather it passes both tests quite well. Is my technique off or is this a common thing?

Originally Posted by khaos

So I am only a hobby honer and still a newb, but it seems that a blade is consistently better after stropping on plain linen and plain leather after honing. Is this true or am I imagining?

It sounds obvious because stropping helps keep a blade shave ready, but consistently I will finish off of the jnat or thury and it will shave arm hairs great but will barely pass the HHT or "hovering arm hair test" but after stropping +/-25 on linen +/-40 on leather it passes both tests quite well. Is my technique off or is this a common thing?

I'm a daily shaver, hobby honer, and am also quite an aggressive stropper. I do about 40 linen and 40 leather laps, sometimes more, and haven't had to touch-up hone a razor for months. Even my pasted paddles are hanging there wondering if I don't like them any more.

No, it's pretty common I think. I mean, presumably that is why they invented strops in the first place, right? Otherwise we'd all be doing a quick swipe on the finishing hone before every shave.

James.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

No, it's pretty common I think. I mean, presumably that is why they invented strops in the first place, right? Otherwise we'd all be doing a quick swipe on the finishing hone before every shave.

James.

That's what I thought but I just wanted to double check that it wasn't something lacking in my honing that was being compensated for with stropping

No matter how I finish edge, 30k, Jnat I have found I can squeeze a little more sharpness and smoothness out of plain leather. I don't think 40 laps are best for me, 10 to 20 seems about right for my blades . Take that with a grain. Just 6 months ago I thought I was good at honing, now looking back.....I am sure many members go through similar learning curve.
Mike

I find my edges are better after a good 50 and 50 and that is my regular routine.

We use compounds to speed up the process and control the grit level and step down process. Stropping leather that has been tanned and compressed has natural silicates in it that create the polishing/honing that is associated with the use of plain leather, horse leather is known to be the best because the amount of silicates in it from the horse eating so much grass.


I would guess the grit level of the silicates to be very fine, 150,000+ grit but I could be wrong as its just a guess.

You'll see increased sharpness after stropping, but its better if those tests are passed before stropping. You may have some of that razor resistant hair, though, so you'll just have to judge with time and how well the razors shave compared to what tests they passed at different stages of honing. Thats the often pointed out problem with those hair tests, you have to learn how your hair responds-which doesn't make the tests any less useful, IMO.

Originally Posted by khaos

......... but consistently I will finish off of the jnat or thury and it will shave arm hairs great but will barely pass the HHT or "hovering arm hair test" but after stropping +/-25 on linen +/-40 on leather it passes both tests quite well. Is my technique off or is this a common thing?

So are you saying that your blade is passing the HAHT before the Jnat but not after until you strop??? I found that to be the case tonight but I thought I just didn't know my stone. Is this normal?

Barry

Originally Posted by bjanzen

So are you saying that your blade is passing the HAHT before the Jnat but not after until you strop??? I found that to be the case tonight but I thought I just didn't know my stone. Is this normal?

Barry

I have the same result but with a coticule. I go from coticule to linen to leather and shave - if it works then on to a J-nat - at which point they pass the HAHT and back to the strop. But I've only recently started honing so I myself have more questions than answers.