Thread: How often do i strop my razor?

My routine is pre-shave 50 linen - 50 leather and post shave 20 on the horse to clean the edge of any micro gook that may be in the striations. Then I wipe with a cloth impregnated with a rust preventative.

Originally Posted by ben.mid

I do 20-30 linen & 40-50 leather as a minimum before each shave & 10-20 linen after to ensure the edge is dry. Stubble is incredibly tough stuff & after a shave the delicate edge of the razor is no longer aligned. It is essential that this is corrected by stropping before the next shave, or the razor will not perform properly. After honing i'll strop a couple of hundred. This may be excessive, but that's what i do.

That's exactly what I do too.

Great advice above as always. I always strop before a shave but it honestly will not hurt to do it whenever you want. The edge is not going to change by sitting overnight or even for days. No need to worry about timing. Whenever you feel like stropping, go for it. Some of the guys do a few laps post shave to clean/dry the edge. I do not do it personally, but it is a good idea especially with a carbon blade. Stainless is a bit more resistant to rusting.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Why would you recommend that?

when i my first blade, doing that seemed to keep the edge with that extra set of passes. learned off experience.

I've been searching for "How often should I hone my blade?" - but I'm not finding anything. Should I get two razors, one for backup while I have my other one in the hone shop via airmail?

I'm thinking it's going to be every two or three months, no?

I think everyone will agree you can not strop too often. It can become a very relaxing experience and you will find yourself ignoring the world around you and concentrating only on the razor and the stop in your hand.

I got the stroop thing, but what about honing? The stone?

It varies and depends on the user and razor. If it feels like the razor is pulling or needs more pressure than it should, it probably needs honing. Correct stropping certainly seems to prolong the life of the edge. As regards time, if it's the only razor you're using probably about once every two months but this is only a rule of thumb and your experience could differ wildly from it.

Thanks for the info on the Tony Miller strop.

I strop before and after each use. I do 20 - 25 on the canvas, and 50 - 60 on the leather before shaving. Then, 15 - 20 on the leather after.

Originally Posted by satcong

I got the stroop thing, but what about honing? The stone?

Stropping AFTER the shave and oiling the blade will help extend the life of your edge. You might think about a pasted paddle to do your touching up which will extend times between honing sessions.

Personally, I think a man should always have a spare blade around.

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