Thread: Beginner stropping, damaged toe

Hello, everyone I have been straight razor shaving for almost a month now. I have only stropped the straight razor twice now since when I purchased it, it was shave-ready. So today when I stropped the razor, I was in a bit of a rush and it appears I damaged the toe. I must have not pulled the strop hard enough and when I was stropping it, it scratched the strop and bent the toe edge slightly. Does anyone know if I would be able to repair it by stropping over it or will it need to be honed again? I does not affect me shaving, but it annoys me, especially since I just got it a month ago. This is my first straight razor, I had a disposable straight razor before this one. Thank you for your help. I'm attaching a picture, but its really hard to see.

I would suggest that the damage likely occurred somewhere else. The wrinkled toe is REALLY easy to perform by simply touching the razor to the sink, counter or tap. Ask me how I know this

It is easy to repair for someone skilled in honing. Where are you? There may be someone in your area willing to fix you up.

If the toe is bent and some metal particles are perceptible I would not strop the blade any longer. You might damage the strop forever if this has not already happened. I would try a canvas strop. And if that does not help I would have the razor honed again.

If my razor is damaged, no matter how small, it must be honed again. That is the best for my piece of mind.

I can't tell from the pic if it's a small chip or the metal is folded back. However where it's located a few trips on a finishing hone should take care of it and you could probably do some specialized strokes at the exact site since the problem isn't on the normal shaving plane.

Really tough to tell from the pic. If it looks like stropping will help but you are concerned about hurting your strop you could use the back of a leather belt just for that spot... You'd either improve it or no change and any damage to your belt would be inconsequential on the underside.

I did the same thing before and it was from bumping the leather bolster at one or both ends of the strop.

Originally Posted by unit

I would suggest that the damage likely occurred somewhere else. The wrinkled toe is REALLY easy to perform by simply touching the razor to the sink, counter or tap. Ask me how I know this

It is easy to repair for someone skilled in honing. Where are you? There may be someone in your area willing to fix you up.

Thank you for your reply, yeah it is a little bent up. I have a canvas strop it try that first. If I wanted to try the sink how would I go about it?

Thank you all for your help.

Thank you Ill try my canvas strop first, then if not a belt.

Originally Posted by easton

Thank you for your reply, yeah it is a little bent up. I have a canvas strop it try that first. If I wanted to try the sink how would I go about it?

Think he meant that you might have accidentally dinged it on the sink and not even realized it (a very light tap that you never even noticed is all it takes), and not that you can fix it by using the sink.