Thread: 2nd shave and stropping

So I did my second shave today. Waited a day between to give the skin a chance. Things went well, no problems. The blade did start to drag a bit at the end and the shave is not quite as close as the first.
Does the stropping of the blade make that much of a difference to the sharpness? And if the blades are made of high carbon steel, why do they dull so quickly?

Stropping plays a big roll in shave readiness. Your stropping technique can make or break the blade. You are correct, Carbon steel does hold an edge, and a properly honed razor, in most cases, should last at least 2 months on average. Your results may vary.
Barber hones can help dramatically, as far as keeping your blade sharp between shaves.
Be mindful of your angle. Improper angle can make it feel as if the blade is dull...

Rich

well stropping makes a BIG difference espeshially for smothness

ive heard that cutting beard can be compeared to cutting copper wire so its not that soft
+everytime the razor is submitted to moisture and skin oils it starts to corrode

Originally Posted by zib

Stropping plays a big roll in shave readiness. Your stropping technique can make or break the blade. You are correct, Carbon steel does hold an edge, and a properly honed razor, in most cases, should last at least 2 months on average. Your results may vary.
Barber hones can help dramatically, as far as keeping your blade sharp between shaves.
Be mindful of your angle. Improper angle can make it feel as if the blade is dull...

Rich

Thanks, how does one get a Mentor?

Stropping is very important, I didnt get a BBS smooth shave until I got my stropping down. Here is a great link on stropping: http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...ping-king.html

Yes stropping makes a big difference.

As to why the blade dulls quickly without proper care, it comes down to scale.

Steel, as you are familiar with it, is just a lump of hard stuff. And rest assured, the steel in your razor is very tough stuff.

But in order to get truly RAZOR sharp, you have to have an edge honed down so fine that the width can only be measured in microscopic terms.

A piece of wood an 3 square inches thick is tough. You'd have a hard time breaking it with your hands.

But a piece of wood the width of pencil is pretty easy to break.

It's a similar concept with any material, including steel.

The hair in your beard is quite thick, and when the razor runs into it, it cuts, but it also leaves tiny indentations of misaligned, microscopic steel in its wake. Stropping serves to re-align those tiny battle scars.

Over time, the edge will lose little bits of its microscopic edge all together, which is when honing is needed.

There is a difference between "sharp" and "razor sharp." And it's a difference that you can't see, and in most cases can't even feel. But it's the difference between something which shaves comfortably, and something that shaves but mauls your skin in the process.