Stropping after shaving vs letting the edge "rest"

I read that Dovo recommends letting the edge rest for 24-48 hours after shaving and before stropping, because stropping earlier than that breaks off some of the edge that gets misaligned when shaving. I know any bent microscopic "teeth" return closer to straight over time, so I think there is some merit to this strategy.

But on the other hand, I read on one of the posts here, that you should never wipe the edge dry by pinching it between a towel, and that many people strop 10-15 strokes after shaving to make sure the edge is truly dry. I also know microscopic edges rust quickly, so I think there is also some merit to this strategy.

So what do you expert's think ? Does the edge gets degraded more by stropping after shaving, trying to wipe it "extra dry" with a towel, or just leaving the edge alone after wiping it across a towel in a honing motion a few strokes to dry it ?

And more importantly, how long does it take for any differences caused by choosing one of those options over the others to impact the closeness or smooth feel of the shave ? Days, weeks, or months ?

Thanks.

First, a honing motion is typically edge leading strokes. That's not something you want to do while stropping (which is edge trailing strokes) on a towel.

Second, this comes up pretty regularly, and the general consensus from all the threads I've seen is that stropping after shaving doesn't hurt it. I strop before and after like many gentlemen here with no ill effect.

Enjoy :)

I usually give the razor 5 to 10 passes on the strop after shaving. Does that deteriorate my edges......well, not that I've noticed.

One conclusion I saw was that metal doesnt "realign" over time for the most part... anything on metal that will rebound is elastic, and rebounds swiftly, and anything that won't rebound swiftly is "bent"... That made sense to me... Also, I love to strop... it's very meditative and relaxing for me... And I've never had trouble from post-shave stropping... Then again, I -and a few other guys) wipe the edge with towels now and then... I actually use a towel to wipe it after every shave...

For me, after shaving, I use the sink to get lather off the blade, clean it... THen I use a towel to get the most moisture I can off the blade... Then I use a rough fabric component (Linen, felt, or SRD webbed fabric) to clean the gunk out of the microserrations of the edge, and finish drying it... Then I use a latigo or Bridle for a few laps (25ish) to polish, realign, and finish cleaning the edge...

I've never had negative results from that... YMMV

Cheers.
Jeremy

+1 on Jeremy's post.

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Originally Posted by JohnG10

I read that Dovo recommends letting the edge rest for 24-48 hours

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Translation: Please buy 1-2 additional razors from us.

You don't need to let a razor rest. It's one of those strange turn-of-the-century things that just never died...kinda like the whole magnetic razor thing. Or, more likely, it was a way to get you to double the price of your purchase.

I was also confused because I've read never strop after a shave Straight Razor Strop Use and Care

Quote:

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"The strop should be used prior to shaving, and never- under any circumstance- after shaving. This is because after shaving the delicate cutting edge is kind of bent (not visible to the naked eye), and you would break tiny metal pieces out of the cutting edge. This would consequently lead to cuts in the skin. Many refer to this condition as a burr from misaligned micro-separations that occur when the razor is used, but will go back into position and become fine again after approx. 24 to 30 hours.

... In order to get the best daily shave with a straight razor DOVO even suggests an individual even consider having at least two straight razors on hand to fully allow time for the blade edge to rest between shaves for optimal performance."

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I've read many here who strop after shaving a few times to clean the edge of any residue. All I can gather from that is in the real world it doesn't make a big difference stropping after. Although I have no scientific evidence either way I'd trust the real world experience of shavers over theory but maybe we should submit this to the show Myth Busters for them to prove/disprove.

edit: I agree with Red more than 24 hrs and needing 2 razors seems at bit excessive and could very well be a marketing ploy to sell more razors.

Stropping on plain leather is one of those few things you can do anytime you want without any negative effects. Most strop just before shaving which is most beneficial and many strop after shaving which helps dry the blade. Once you get past around 60 passes to continue has limited benefits (in my opinion) but it won't hurt anything either.

So the moral of the story is strop before shaving and if you want to strop other times as well, go ahead and enjoy yourself.

Another vote for stropping before and after with no ill effects.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Stropping on plain leather is one of those few things you can do anytime you want without any negative effects. Most strop just before shaving which is most beneficial and many strop after shaving which helps dry the blade. Once you get past around 60 passes to continue has limited benefits (in my opinion) but it won't hurt anything either.

So the moral of the story is strop before shaving and if you want to strop other times as well, go ahead and enjoy yourself.

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How is it more beneficial to strop before shaving as opposed to after?

I usually strop after to dry, and then just whenever I get time during the day to practice. I don't see how a blade is going to go dull b/c you stropped it the night before as opposed to right before?

I'm not saying it's not better, just that I don't understand how it could be. But that's why I'm here, to learn.

While it is true that deformations in the edge will relax somewhat over a 24-48 hour period, I see no reason why stropping after a shave would have any harmful effect. All it would do is speed up the relaxation.

Logically, if stropping realigns the edge after a rest, it would also be expected to realign the edge after a shorter rest, or no rest at all. If the edge were so deformed that stropping would damage it, then a 48 hour rest is not going to fix it. Anything that is that badly out of line is probably well and truely bent and cannot be bent back without causing a fatigue failure.

Post shave stropping will certainly dry the edge, but so will a couple of passes on a towel or sheet of tissue. Personally, I only strop before the shave, but I dry the blade with a stropping motion on a towel before I put the razor away. I do let my blades rest, typically about a week between shaves with each razor.