Thread: Razor Dulling & Stropping

I shaved with a razor from another one of our great mentors here the other night, and it was a terrific shave for a newbie like myself! The razor is an extra hollow ground 5/8". I finished up the shave, dried off the razor, and put it away outside of the bathroom to get it away from humidity. Because I question my stropping skills at this part of my shaving journey, I decided to not strop this razor unless the shave quality diminished. Well, last night, I decided to try to take this razor for a 2nd spin. Same pre-shave prep and everthing, but this time it tugged/pulled a fair bit. My stubble wasn't as long last night as it was the first time I used this razor - would that make any difference? Did the razor lose it's edge after that first shave, due to it being an extra hollow ground, or possibly micro-corrosion? Maybe all razors lose their edge after a single shave?

I've been going pretty slow with my stropping, both on the canvas side and the leather side, but I don't feel any improvement from stropping yet. I try to do 20 passes on the canvas, and 50 on the leather. If the leather isn't broken in yet (brand new Illinois #127 strop), is it possible it isn't doing it's job? I've just started rubbing the leather side with my palm before stropping.

JMO, but those Illinois canvas strops are very harsh. With 20 laps on that Id say it could have taken a bit off your edge. A soft linen would be ok with that many passes. I think Id only do 5 as lightly as posible or find a softer secondary strop.
This is just one opinion. Microscopically an edge gets jagged by being pushed back and forth durring the shave so stropping straightens, realigns the edge. And if you wait a few days between shaves without stropping the edge can get worse. I always strop a little after a shave too. This corrects the edge before the razor is put away.

As far as whisker length, i get a better shave on two days growth. But everyone's growth is different. When working I shave daily.

Stropping is harder to figure out than people think. Just go easy and slow and it will come.

Much like everything in this hobby Stropping has a learning curve

There are 3 stages of stropping

#1 Trying to do NO Harm

#2 Doing No Harm and trying to improve the edge

#3 Actually improving the edge

I always suggest you leave the "Hanging part" out of the equation until you learn the Stroke and the Flip by placing the strop on the edge of a table or counter

Let me find a great Thread on stropping and link it for you

Damn has it really been a Decade


https://sharprazorpalace.com/stroppi...st-2012-a.html

No, normally razors do not lose their edge after one shave. Also, I don't think the length of your stubble was a factor. Even though the first shave was excellent by your standards, you could have dulled the edge through poor shaving technique. Extra hollow ground blades have a very fine edge and are probably more sensitive to poor shaving technique than the heavier grinds.

It takes a bit of time to get your stropping technique to the point where it will maintain the edge or even improve it. You could try increasing the number of strokes on canvas and see if that helps.

Bob

With a strop, on both sides, linen and leather, use slow strokes with light pressure.
Almost everyone that has come to my home for help has done poorly at stropping.
Your best bet is to meet face to face with an experienced str8 shaver.
Try to find someone in your area to show you the ropes.
On the SRP front page is a link to finding someone in your area.
Let us know where you're located.

For your current situation try what has been suggested above. The other option is to send the razor out for a refresh.

Your lather can make a razor pull.

There have been some important things said. Also a poor shaving technique is also very hard on the edge, there is a sweet spot with the angle of the shave that gets the most life from the edge, because it cuts so efficiently, which also leads to a better shave. It could also be that your technique was spot on the first time, but not so much the second time. There is a strong argument for lightly stropping after each shave, also how many effective laps before each shave.

I give my razor 40 on flax and 40 on English Bridal leather after my shave and 60 on Herringbone cotton and 100 on Buffalo leather before I use it again.

What is my next step to take if I suspect I may have been too aggressive with pressure on the razor while stropping? Does it need to go back to a finishing stone or would many light passes on a strop bring the edge back?

Originally Posted by lazyMlazyK

What is my next step to take if I suspect I may have been too aggressive with pressure on the razor while stropping? Does it need to go back to a finishing stone or would many light passes on a strop bring the edge back?

In general any damage caused by incorrect stropping can be fixed by proper stropping, there are exceptions of course

Place the strop flat on the edge of a table

Do 50 perfect even smooth laps on the Linen
Do 100 perfect even smooth laps on the Leather

Shave and hopefully smile at your accomplishments