Thread: I'm assuming stropped is stropped...

Originally Posted by Alembic

Glen,

I'm confused. I have read here that if you buy a shave ready razor from, let's say SRD, and Lynn honed it, you should just go ahead and shave with it and no need to strop. In fact, the recommendation is not to stop on that firt one so you can learn what a properly honed razor feels like.

But that is diametricaly opposed to this reasoning. If I can't strop the night before, then how does a razor get honed by ynn, shipped by SRD, get in my hands, and then is good to shave without my stropping?

Respectfully,
David

Good point. I haven't read farther down yet, so I don't know what the experts are saying, but perhaps the defense being offered is that the honemeisters may oil the blade after sharpening, thus protecting against rusting during shipment and end use. Dunno, but often as not I'll strop before going to bed as my mornings tend to be rushed and my evenings don't have the same time pressures. I have nothing to compare the shave quality of the night strop to the morning strop as the variables will always be different, but both night-strop and morning-strop yield fine shaves.

So there you go: another vote cast into that bottomless ballot box.

Originally Posted by Alembic

Glen,

I'm confused. I have read here that if you buy a shave ready razor from, let's say SRD, and Lynn honed it, you should just go ahead and shave with it and no need to strop. In fact, the recommendation is not to stop on that firt one so you can learn what a properly honed razor feels like.

But that is diametricaly opposed to this reasoning. If I can't strop the night before, then how does a razor get honed by ynn, shipped by SRD, get in my hands, and then is good to shave without my stropping?

Respectfully,
David

Hi,
The reason for THAT is because very frequently those new to shaving take the perfectly honed razor from Lynn, then strop it incorrectly and roll the edge, then blame Lynn for not having a sharp razor (he also oils it which helps slow down any corrosion). He wants you to know what a sharp razor feels like. But after that first shave, you must strop... in a perfect world you would still strop a freshly honed razor before use.

-Chief


-Chief

Originally Posted by gssixgun

OIL !!!!

We oil the blade before packing them and sending them to you guys...
Now if you want to strop the night before (or days as the op said), oil the blade, then clean the blade, then shave you are there....

My honing letters say the exact same thing

"Please do not strop the blade before shaving simply rinse the oil and shave, as I want the first shave to be on me, not on your stropping ability or lack there of"

Edit: Just to clarify here, you can do anything you want, BUT the OP asked if it was as good, and actually in very technical terms it is not...

I should have realized it was the oil

yes the oil most certainly helps a lot, but depending on the local climate and where the razor is located the edge doesn't deteriorate all that fast.
i've shaved with razors at least a week after i've stropped them (kept in a relatively small bathroom with the usual daily showers etc.), and even though the stropping after lather is the best it actually worked pretty well.

how fast the edge exposed to air degrades depends on many factors and the most important of them is the strop you used. the leather actually can (for quite some time I've been thinking that it always does) transfer some protective coating onto the edge, and in some cases that's even visible under good optical magnification.

Hello, everyone:

When I receive my razor from Lynn honed, I wipe the oil from the blade and shave without stropping. After the shave, I do strop it, usually 15 on canvas and 30 on leather. For shaves beyond that first one, I strop before and after.

Since on weekdays I shave at the gym, I pack my gym bag the night before, everything except for the dopp kit, strop my razor in the morning and pack it in the dopp kit and into the gym bag, and on to the gym.

The razor is thoroughly dried at the gym after the shave, dried again at home, and then stropped, oiled and left open for a while before being placed in the rack.

On weekends, when shaving at home, I shower, lather, strop and soar with a good shave. Afterward, the razor is cleaned, thoroughly dried, stropped, oiled, left partly open for a while, and then placed in the rack.

Ah, life can be such a joy.

Regards,

Obie

Originally Posted by Obie

Hello, everyone:

When I receive my razor from Lynn honed, I wipe the oil from the blade and shave without stropping. After the shave, I do strop it, usually 15 on canvas and 30 on leather. For shaves beyond that first one, I strop before and after.

Since on weekdays I shave at the gym, I pack my gym bag the night before, everything except for the dopp kit, strop my razor in the morning and pack it in the dopp kit and into the gym bag, and on to the gym.

The razor is thoroughly dried at the gym after the shave, dried again at home, and then stropped, oiled and left open for a while before being placed in the rack.

On weekends, when shaving at home, I shower, lather, strop and soar with a good shave. Afterward, the razor is cleaned, thoroughly dried, stropped, oiled, left partly open for a while, and then placed in the rack.

Ah, life can be such a joy.

Regards,

Obie

Dear Obie,

Ok, I have to ask. First what do the folks at the gym think about your SRS? Second, with all those people there, how do you not become distracted, which we all know is a bad thing when it comes to SRS?

David

Let's have some fun here:

To the question that started the thread, I believe if you strop the night before you intend to shave, you should have no problem picking up the razor and shaving. My superstition is that if I have let the razor sit for a few days or a week, I will strop the razor before shaving. I typically will also strop after a shave too.

Now for stropping a newly honed razor, I am the one primarily responsible for introducing the "Urban Legend" regarding no need to strop a freshly honed razor into the forums. This has been adopted by some in a most doctrinal way and with some flexibility by others. I still believe that you really don't need to strop a razor after I have honed it and stropped it, but I do coat every razor in Camellia oil before shaving and that has presented it's own mystical phenomena over the years. There is so much conflicting information out there that we have seen new guys take an oil coated razor out of the box and try to perform a hanging hair test only to find the razor will not slice the hair. Based on what their understanding is, the razor is proclaimed not shave ready and no matter what is said to that person, they will not be able to obtain even a comfortable pass with that razor, let alone an entire shave. The pre-disposition of an unsharp razor has already been instilled. On the other hand we have new people who have to learn proper technique in holding the razor and then in establishing a good cutting angle. Very few people can actually just pick up a razor for the first time and do a complete shave without problems and yet on virtually every occasion I've encountered, it is never the new persons inexperience or lack of preparation. It is so much easier to blame the razor. Now ad to that those great advisers, many of which who have a lot more posts than experience and those self proclaimed experts at honing who either by agenda or vendetta, steer that new person into what is proclaimed as "their standards", you also have a perfect storm for confusion. It would be a very rare situation where a person who has honed a few thousand razors and tested them by shaving, sent out a razor that could not perform a decent shave. In addition, most of the guys I know will always be happy to re-hone a razor if there is any question.

I know you are not gonna believe this but stropping is also a learned experience. The key is a rhythmic stroke, keeping the spine and edge on the leather and only rolling the razor on it's spine to change directions. Too much pressure, too much speed or too slow are not good things and only promote nicking up a strop. With a little practice, this also becomes second nature to most people. The benefits of stropping are well documented in the forum.

I saw a video a couple weeks ago where a new guy was learning to shave and someone was helping him out. It was refreshing to see all the problems he was having learning to hold the razor properly because it shows other new people that they may not be alone in this learning experience. On the other hand, there are also some good videos out there that give people very nice examples of successful shaving and stropping techniques.

I have really appreciated the majority of the advise in this forum helping the new guys out. In almost all cases, once a new persons technique improves with a little help here, the shaves start to mysteriously get better and oh my, even the razors seem to get a little sharper.......

Typically, I will tell people that you don't have to strop a freshly honed and already stropped razor. I do recommend wiping off the oil however. That said, I would still say strop the razor before shaving as that is my superstition and what I do when I receive one that is shave ready.

So, like so much in this art or sport, the more we learn, the better we get and the more we learn, the more we recognize that personal preference plays a huge part in not only what we like, but what works best for us. We should never take this art so seriously that we can't have fun with it and enjoy all the pleasures it can bring us. As someone once said "It's only shaving for goodness sake".

There may never be the perfect way for everyone to enjoy straight razor shaving, but what works perfectly for you as you learn this art is what will always make it fun for you and with that, I would say......

Have fun!!!!!

Lynn

Originally Posted by Alembic

Dear Obie,

Ok, I have to ask. First what do the folks at the gym think about your SRS? Second, with all those people there, how do you not become distracted, which we all know is a bad thing when it comes to SRS?

David

Hello, David:

Thank you for your note. Ah, yes, the gym locker room is a fascinating place. It also has been a source for many colorful conversations regarding my straight razor shaving.

I work out at the gym five days a week. I also eat properly. If I failed to do either, my older daughter, the dietitian and physical trainer, will haunt my dreams. "What do you mean you were too busy to go to the gym today, Dad?" Oy. She is a sweetie.

Anyway, my shave comes after the workout, obviously, and following a 15-minute steam bath. I don't know for how long I will have this luxury, but, by Jove, I'll enjoy it for as long as it lasts. Some of the guys already know me; they were my radio listeners from way back, and my readers. Many others I have met, because they were genuinely interested in why I used a straight razor.

I am happy to say I have switched a number of them to wet shaving and double edge razors. No straight yet, but I keep trying in the most subtle and diplomatic way. You never know.

Many of the newcomers, especially the younger ones, will do a double take when they see me shaving with a straight razor. This especially since I spend more than 90 seconds on my morning shave. Several have inquired why I do what I do, which has led to interesting conversations. Some have noted remembering their grandfather shave with a straight razor, and that, too, has led to interesting conversations.

In all, no one has ever made a snide remark. They take me for I am as I do them. I think if you hold your head high and act as a gentleman, people usually respond in kind. Also, I think if you display a humble attitude with a smile, you will invite a friendly handshake, so to speak. And, too, I am a good listener, and that is always an open door to a friendly response and a good conversation.

As for being distracted, I never am. I am well disciplined and focused in everything I do. That helps at the gym with the shaving. If I see a conversation is coming, I use a stop and start method with my shaving, stopping when I am chatting and shaving when not. Also, having done many radio interviews, I know exactly where to keep the focus of the conversation, how to direct it, and when to cut it if I have to.

It all works for me in the locker room at the gym. People fascinate me. That's why I love listening to them, and learning from them. Nothing in life bores me except arrogance and bad manners. Thus far I have not run into that at the gym.

Stay well, and thanks for your question, my friend.

Regards,

Obie

My dear Lynn:

You say it so well. As a straight razor pilgrim, I am grateful for your thoughts and wisdom. Thanks.

Regards,

Obie

Originally Posted by BHChieftain

You would think so, but....
.....

+1
Exactly one would think so but....
depending on the razor, humidity, phase of the moon....

Still it is your face and razor. What works for you
works for you.