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

Hello
I hear many different views about it
Some say it good, some say it isn't
So
What do you think? Should you strop the razor after the shave too?
And also, how do you do it? how do you make sure it isn't wet or still oild with some the lather you used or what ever?

I just strop it regular for about 12 laps to help clean any dirt or moisture from the edge. Everybody has a different aproach to this. You're going to get a ton of different ideas about this. Just warnin' ya.

X

It is just that some places I have read people who claim that stroping after the shave can longer the time between each time you need to hone it
What do you think of it ?
And, is it the fact that the blade is a little "wet" can't do wrong to the strop?

I strop after a shave simply to clean the edge of the blade after drying it on a towel because I can't get the edge completly dry without it. I don't like the idea of getting my strop wet (which is why I don't keep it in the bathroom), so I only use the linin side after shaving, and only do about 10 lengths.

Not sure if this helps,

Steven

I strop 20-30 on linen and 20-30 on leather after I shave. I dry my razor with a towel before stropping and the linen will help dry whatever moisture remains.

In one of the permanent resources isn't there some research done by a member saying 30 before and 30 after keeps the razor away from the hone for longer stretches?

Originally Posted by Bradford Si

In one of the permanent resources isn't there some research done by a member saying 30 before and 30 after keeps the razor away from the hone for longer stretches?

the Grand experiment

http://straightrazorpalace.com/compo...,123/Itemid,3/

Click "download" or "view" to read it

I highly recommend this article

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 know smarter men than me might have loads of theories and such but I never strop after I shave only before. I have never heard any reason that makes scence to me to do so.

To me thats like wiping your butt before you crap....

Interesting... I fall into the 60-30 camp, despite never having read that downloadable document before.

Before shaving
Strop 30 on linen, 30 on leather (using Tony's #1 Latigo Heirloom)
After shaving
15 on linen, 15 on leather

I do the 'after' just to get as much moisture off as possible. I'm not worried about the leather as after wiping dry with towel then tissue paper, I figure 15 on the linen pretty much removes most of the moisture.

And being obsessive about moisture, I keep my blades locked (I have young children) in a metal cash box outside of the bathroom, and inside the box there are a few of those silicon packets you get for absorbing moisture. Sometimes I think I'm borderline OCD.