Thread: What did I do?

So, last night I had my worst shave since I started and I have no idea why.

I started about 6 weeks ago and I think it's been going very well. I've only cut myself once and I would say half the time I don't even get any weeping or burn. I wear a full beard so I only shave my neck and some touch up on my cheeks. I usually do one down pass and one up pass and maybe a little touch up in specific spots after that.


Last night, I decided to try stropping for more passes than usual. I usually shave 3-4 times a weak and do 25-35 passes on the strop before shaving and 10-20 after cleanup. After reading a few tips on here where people were told to "strop the heck out of it" I did 75 for this shave just to see what would happen. I also used my cream this time instead of my astroglide and soap routine which I only do occasionally. My down stroke was fine, it seemed basically to be normal. As soon as I started my upstroke I knew something wasn't going right. It was instantly tugging and trying to dig in. So I stopped, and re-stropped for about 25 passes but it didn't seem to help. Next, I rinsed and applied astroglide and then relathered the spots I hadn't got to yet but it didn't really seem to help. I ended up giving myself 3 or 4 weepers and probably some rash too.

So, any thoughts on where I went wrong? Did the extra stropping ruin my edge? I feel like I've been pretty good on stropping and never really had a problem before. Is the blade just getting dull and ready for honing? I've used a CrOx pasted strop once so far and didn't really notice a change. I don't think I have an exceptionally tough beard but I don't think it's soft either.

It's easy to bugger up your edge when stropping. So that could be it. Best bet it to get it re-honed.

About 60 passes gives you the max benefit in stropping. More than that you're exercising you arm and taking a chance of mis-stropping. Your beard has nothing to do with it. A proper razor will cut through the toughest beards like a hot knife through soft butter. You can try the CrO but if you rolled the edge on the strop it may need an actual honing to bring it back.

The funniest part to me though is that my first pass felt fine. Possibly even better than usual. I guess I'll just try honing and see what happens.

Sounds like you rolled the edge...we have all done that. Before you get carried away with "honing", what stones do you plan on taking it to? I ask this because if you have to ask what happened, you more than likely don't know much about honing. I mean no disrespect, but have to state the obvious. If you are planning on simply touching up the blade on a stone 8K+ or a coticule, then by all means go for it. Give it 10-20x on the stone and then strop. If it's not right, try it again. If after the third time it's still not right then we will help you from there. If my less is more concept is wrong for you, then please disregard my post.

No disrespect taken. You're absolutely right, I don't know anything really about honing. I ordered a coticle "bout" from superior shave a few days ago. I plan on trying to touch it up on that. My philosophy being that if the edge is ruined, I'm not going to make it worse and if I'm going to have to send it somewhere to have it honed anyway I might as well try to learn to do it myself first.

Did you strop with leather or canvas+leather.

I ask because if you rolled the edge a little
(not a lot) going back to the canvas for 10-15
followed by leather 30-50 could pull the edge back
in line.

I would advise a very slow and deliberate
visit to the strop followed by a shave test.

My guess is that you have been at the strop
activity long enough to feel comfortable and
to begin stropping with more speed somehow
you may have rolled the edge to some degree.
Since I have done it --.

Since speed has no value here other than time
take some time and slow down so you
have smooth perfect strop strokes.

If that does not do it hone it lightly on
a fine finishing hone and see if that helps.
You may need to revisit the fine hone a
couple times... Tell us what hones you have....

Tried to look you up on the map...is your original screen-name cstewart?

I don't have a canvas strop that I'm comfortable with unfortunately. I have one that I got off of ebay but it feels more like plastic than canvas to me.

No I'm not cstewart. His/her location is close by me but I don't think he/she has been active in quite some time.

Originally Posted by PhlyanPan

I don't have a canvas strop that I'm comfortable with unfortunately. I have one that
I got off of ebay but it feels more like plastic than canvas to me.
....snip....

A canvas equivalent is cotton denim. You can take some and wrap
it on a 2.5" stick. A couple layers wrapped on a paddle shaped
thin board will do the trick. Glue or staple it to the wood.
One perfect source is when someone cuts the legs
off a pair of 501 to make shorts.