Thread: Using towel to "strop" my blade clean...acceptable?

This has probably been brought up before but I couldn't find it in my searches. When I'm done shaving, there is always a layer of film on my blade from the cream I use (right now either Kiss My Face Moisture Shave or Speick Cream). After drying I have been laying my towel flat on my bathroom counter and running my razor along it in a stropping motion to clean off the film. I keep the towel really flat and don't double it up so it isn't rally thick and "spongy". After that, I strop it on felt, then on leather before I put it to bed. I haven't noticed any degradation of the edge yet but I got to thinking that maybe it isn't good for the edge. What do you guys think of this?

Sounds OK to me. I usually do a very hot water rinse, long enough to heat the blade well, then a lengthwise wipe with a cotton towel, run a paper towel between the scales--especially to wick out any moisture in the hinge pin--then just strop on leather 20x before putting the blade away.

Thanks for both starting, and answering on this thread, it hadn't occured to me, but now that it has it's something I was suddenly very curious about.

ANelson--the post-shave stropping is a pretty standard part of razor care. It ensures that there's no soap residue or other crud left on your edge between shaves. Any kind of chemical degradation (from soap, moisture, etc.) happens on surfaces and your skinny, skinny razor edge is almost all surface--so a little degradation goes a long way.

Everyone has different way of cleaning the razor post shave and here's how I do it.
I like my lather on the watery side, so a few seconds under running water cleans all of the visible lather.
I take one piece of toilet paper, and put a few drops of alcohol on it, then wipe off the blade in 2 or 3 swipes.
I have made a paddle with fleece padding covered with a cheap silk. This oil strop is lightly loaded with mineral oil.
I take the dry razor and swipe in on the oil strop on each side, spine, top of the toe, and the tang.
It coats the razor with very fine and even layer of oil.
Every once in a while, I will oil up the joints in addition to the oil strop.

I've used this method since the 2000's and have not had problems with rust or pitting.

I would think that my oil strop and your cotton towel does nearly the same thing, so I see no problem with your method.

I use the towel as a strop method and have been for years. I do it to ensure the blade is dry as I rinse the blade in the water.

A towel should be fine. I use tissue paper then a linen strop. No big deal...

+1 on thebigspendur, however sutitute "years" for "months"

Chris

I do like most of the other posters here do. Rinse it with hot water and then gentle strop a few times on a soft dry towel, tissue paper between the scales, and then I'll usually leave it open out of reach of the kids to air dry for a bit to ensure any moisture has dried before I lay put it to bed. I haven't stropped them post shave though, so I am glad I read this because I will do so from now on!

Excellent! Now I can rest easy with my method. Thanks guys.