Strop expert advice/opinion wanted. *not* stropping advice

Ok, I'm one of those survivalist guys who picked up straight razor shaving as much for the self sufficient aspect as well as the fact that it will be cheaper than cartridges in the long run (DAMN YOU R.A.D. AND H.A.D.!!!!!!!!!!) back to topic.... I came across some survival literature that was printed back in like 1886 or there abouts and it had a section on straight razor use and up keep. Now, without boring you with the details, it said the actually reason for the linen side of a strop was to straighten the micro teeth first *BECAUSE* if you went straight to the leather every time, the micro teeth would tare at the leather and decrease its over all life by UP TO 45%

Now.....this document is clearly geared toward passing your possesions down to your children.....and your children's children....for every day use from you all the way to them.

Is this the truth? Is this the real intended purpose of the linen? I'm inclined to believe a document that was written during the times of our founding fathers..... But I want some modern day opinions as well.

I've read this somewhere too, when thinking about it it sounds plausible.
It will be interesting to hear the opinion on this.

I don't buy it. I've used solely a plain leather roo strop for several months in the past and there's no sign of any extra wear or anything. it's still just as smooth and supple as when I got it.

Bear in mind how fine a razors edge is, the striations in the surface are going to be so minute they'll have no impact in the strop.

I don't exactly know and never seem to have the time to check. What I do know is that the linen has a slight abrasive quality in the razor as evidenced by the residue. In my mind the primary reason behind the linen would be to remove minute amounts of oxidation formed on the edge.

I have read something similar, and it makes sense; especially with an eye towards handing down to your children. At any rate, that is my practice - except I have a felt backing, not linen.

I have read the exact same thing. I even saw micro pictures of the edge, after shaving, before the linen, then after the linen, then after the leather, and from what I saw, I'd say the premise is right on. After a shave the edge had some 'teeth' that weren't all even going the same direction. The linen lined them all up again, removing those that would 'break' if not straightened again. Then after the leather the 'saw edge' was smoothed out considerably. So based on that I'd say it was right on.

The same thing I read also said that you shouldn't strop your razor immediately after shaving, but to give it 24-48 hours rest to 'reset' it's own edge partially, then stropping finished the job before the next shave.

That sounded like the best reason in the world to me to get more than a dozen razors!!! :)

I do give my razors a quick strop after use, to make sure the 'edge' is also dry before I oil and put it away. So I run it 5 or 10 times on the felt, then put it up.

My Opinion only mate!! Take it with a grain of salt. There seems to be many an opinion about it.

Mike

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Originally Posted by Stubear

I don't buy it. I've used solely a plain leather roo strop for several months in the past and there's no sign of any extra wear or anything. it's still just as smooth and supple as when I got it.

Bear in mind how fine a razors edge is, the striations in the surface are going to be so minute they'll have no impact in the strop.

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I'm not being abrasive, so don't take it that way, but you are speaking of several months....but even if you were talking about several years.....the text was speaking of several generations. Don't you feel that maybe you could buy it *just a *little, given that context :) we're talking 80 years a person, 240 years worth of use. I think I buy it a little, myself :)

Hahahah The subject of micro teeth has been brought up on here quite a few times... One thing I have learned is that not all the advice agrees with each other, but the end to the means is the same. There is a LOT of literature that says "Micro teeth Good", some say "Micro teeth bad" and the last bit that says "Micro teeth does not exist or has no baring." Where one person says "Yes that is what you are suppose to do" another will say "I have done it the other way for years." It ranks up there with Creams versus Soaps.. and Hanging Versus Paddle strop. I even took one of my razors and stropped the SMEG out of it and put up Macro shots of the blade, and the respective images of the hairs after certain stages of stropping. Honestly keeping to stropping will keep that edge nicely. If you want to know just get ahold of a loop or USB microscope and keep an eye on your edge..

What you've just asked has been batted around probably since linen/leather stropping came to be. Even old barber manuals state both sides of the divide. It is almost as bad as tea party versus liberals. Anyhow, I am a linen/leather guy. If it was good enough for every pro barber I ever went to when I was a kid .... I used to watch fascinated when they stropped their razors .... it is good enough for me.

Here is an interesting thread leading to an interesting article on the topic. When I first came around I based my stropping habits on mparker762's post # 4. Still do, more or less.

The there a ton of discussion about what linen does and doesn't do

Here is proof that is does remove "something" from the edge :) whether that is a good thing or not is your decision to make..

Attachment 73350

This is a used Illinois linen compared to a new one...
That is after probably 1000 razors, anyone that uses a white Linen strop should be able to see the same thing after a year or two..

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

The there a ton of discussion about what linen does and doesn't do

Here is proof that is does remove "something" from the edge :) whether that is a good thing or not is your decision to make..

Attachment 73350

This is a used Illinois linen compared to a new one...
That is after probably 1000 razors, anyone that uses a white Linen strop should be able to see the same thing after a year or two..

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This looks like definitive proof to *me*. I know I was already using linen first every time but that picture sure makes it hard to deny that if I want my son to see use of my strop in 60 years....I better keep using it. Speaking of........

I do about 30 passes on the linen and about 30 passes on the leather. I'm new so.....is that enough? Opinions?....advice?... :)

I do 50 and 50 because that is what I thought I read in that thread I referred to previously. Going back to it and re-reading it sometime later I saw that I was incorrect. The post I followed said 30 and 50. I still do 50 and 50 because I am used to it and it seems to be working well. I have tried less and, as with most things, I'm happier with more. :)

Ok....I'm about to piss some people off.....so I need everyone to chill out and take a deep breath. Trough a misguided attempt I tried to get my straights HHT Sharp all the way through. OK BREATH EVERYONE AND CHILL OUT...... I got the 1/3 of my straights closest to the tang HHT Sharp but the middle and top part are not. Now....I just shaved last night and it Shaves great. But I'm worried that even though it now Shaves like a dream.....that maybe one side being sharper than the other is improper honing and I don't know what that might lead to so can someone instruct me on how to fix this so I don't hone like a jack ass again? Thanks guys. Remember....lots of love, don't be mean lol.

It is a matter of practicing until you have uniformity in your stroke and pressure .... or the lack of pressure. Honing is a learned skill with a lot of nuance. It is easy to demonstrate a technique and difficult to explain or demonstrate the nuances. You have to get the feel of those through your hand. I used to have the same problem but as I gained experience it got better. The 1961 barber manual PDF excerpt on honing and stropping gives some good technique to making sure you're getting the entire blade where you want it to be. Here it is out of the SRP Wiki help files.

Probably the way you are holding your razor or pressure you are applying. It's just unequal so that's the result you get. The old test mentioned many times is use a magic marker on your razor and as you hone it should come off evenly. That's how you will know.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

Probably the way you are holding your razor or pressure you are applying. It's just unequal so that's the result you get. The old test mentioned many times is use a magic marker on your razor and as you hone it should come off evenly. That's how you will know.

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I will definitely be doing this next time! Now....Lynn honed it....4 Shaves later, I wanted HHT Sharp so I honed it (Yes I now know it probably already was HHT Sharp from Lynn I just didn't know what I was doing) now its definitely shaving great but I still want to play! Should I just leave it alone for another 6 months or should I keep practising?

I say if you like the idea of using linen then leather then by all means you should. You can't go wrong either way. Personally I hit mine with 15 on the felt, 20 on the rough and then 50 to 60 on the smooth leather. Some may say it's nuts and others say it's not enough. I figure after spending the money on a good razor.. Or a restoration.. Or taking the time to restore it you should do what you like to keep the beauty shaving.. My grand father spent a long time stropping and prepping his razor heck he would tell me now what I do is not enough.. Hehehe he would probably have me use linen... Rough... Felt.. Two grades of leather.. But he was an old farmer and everything he owned was very well taken care of..

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Originally Posted by grant9908

I will definitely be doing this next time! Now....Lynn honed it....4 Shaves later, I wanted HHT Sharp so I honed it (Yes I now know it probably already was HHT Sharp from Lynn I just didn't know what I was doing) now its definitely shaving great but I still want to play! Should I just leave it alone for another 6 months or should I keep practising?

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What I did was leave the Lynn honed ones alone, they didn't need any help. I got vintage ebay and antique shop razors and practiced. Only took a hundred or so. :p

Think I should get a cheap $6 razor and try to get it shave ready?