Thread: Why do you strop after the shave and how to do it?

Originally Posted by Sunsi

To show just how much contradictory information there is on this, I have read on the German sites and forums not to strop after a shave at all - here's the reason why.

After the shave, the microscpoic edge is effectively bent and twisted from slicing through all our hairs. Stropping straight away has a huge risk of bending them back again, thus over time stressing the metal at the point of the bend, at best, and at worse snapping them off into the hone itself, which needless to say is very bad.

Over 24-48 hours the edge relaxes, and things are more or less aligned again, and you can strop - the main purpose of which is to finely align the edge of the blade so that its all pointing in the right direction.

I am the first to admit I am a total noob at all of this, but to me the above makes perfect sense with my very basic knowledge of metal.

I have read it too

Can some one please give some more info about it ? is it true? should we not strop after shave?

I don't and my edges are just fine. I do give my blades a wipedown with alcohol to dessecate them, thus preventing rust and it works.

I don't even go that far. I dry mine with a towel and put it in the wooden cigar box on the shelf. No rust .

After I shave, I use a towel to dry most of the blade by wraping it round the the back of the spine and drying as close to the edge as i dare. Then I strop maybe just 4 trips to make sure that the moisture is gone from the edge as well as the rest of the blade.
I vary the number of strop I do before a shave, it depends on my patience on that particular day. Sometimes I don't want to risk stropping too much because i'm too tired to concentrate on technique and i may fold over the edge. (Incidentally these are usually the day that you lose the concentration shaving also, and cut yourself!)
I'm usually between 20 - 60 laps before a shave.
Nick

The question is
What gives you a better sharp holding for longer time? and is better against rust from water and so on?

Originally Posted by EAD

The question is
What gives you a better sharp holding for longer time? and is better against rust from water and so on?

I really don't think it does anything after a shave.

I have always stropped after my razor is dry following a shave and before I put my razor up. Never have had any negative experience nor any blade dulling as an effect. Personal preference I believe.

Have fun.

Lynn

As with most of the replies above.....

After I shave, I clean the water, etc, off the blade with a towel, and get 'close' to the edge but not touch it (under mangnification you can see some residue and/or skin cells on the edge). I then clean the very edge by stropping it a few times on the canvas side, and then finish 'cleaning/dry' the edge by giving a few strop/passes on the leather side.

I have noticed that after stropping on the leather side a light coating of the strop conditioner from the leather is on the very edge....this works as a nice protective layer/cover until I use the razor again (the razor I use is kept dry with no camellia oil on the blade - I only use the oil for long term storage).

C utz

Originally Posted by Sunsi

To show just how much contradictory information there is on this, I have read on the German sites and forums not to strop after a shave at all - here's the reason why.

After the shave, the microscpoic edge is effectively bent and twisted from slicing through all our hairs. Stropping straight away has a huge risk of bending them back again, thus over time stressing the metal at the point of the bend, at best, and at worse snapping them off into the hone itself, which needless to say is very bad.

Over 24-48 hours the edge relaxes, and things are more or less aligned again, and you can strop - the main purpose of which is to finely align the edge of the blade so that its all pointing in the right direction.

I can't agree with this, as I've seen plenty of evidence to suggest that stropping between passes gives you a better shave. You know? Lather, strop, shave, lather, strop, shave again.
If it's okay, and even said to give a better shave, when you strop moments after a shave and shave again right after that stropping, why wouldn't it be okay to strop after you're done shaving completely?
I see the general consensus is about 45 passes on both sides, so I'd put a safe bet on that being the optimum.

It just goes to show doesn't it - there is no right or wrong answers. Just FYI, I was only quoting what I had read on German websites, and is by no means my final say on the issue. I am too much of a noob to give my own advice out. I should have maybe stated heres the reason THEY SAY why not to do it.

All I said was that it makes sense to me - but then so does a couple of passes on Linen to wick all the moisture off the cutting edge after shaving. I have yet to formulate my own idea on the best thing to do.

Argh.

Si