Thread: Old Norwegian barber strops VERY VERY quickly

Originally Posted by bkn

You're right, I'm not the most active member on this forum. Sorry about that :-).

I usually find myself not posting replies because I rarely have anything really new to add to the discussions.

In this case however, I'm wondering why it seems to be the general assumption that you have to hone your razor regularly, when I do not need to do that.....even after more than 250 shaves. And I'm no "master stropper" at all :-).

I agree, if your stropping is technique is solid, a good edge will last a long, long time. It also has something to do with how far the edge is pushed in honing; a thinner (keener) edge will be able to take less damage than a slightly thicker edge (the damage being imparted by shaving). No matter how good your stropping, a razor honed up to 30.000 grit will deteriorate faster than one honed up to 10.000 grit.

Also, what I have noticed about edge deterioration is not that a razor starts to tug; when it needs honing I know so because it will have a rougher edge that gives me lots of tiny nicks.

Also, it may have to do with standards. Some people refresh and edge after even the most minute deterioration. I do sometimes. It takes me about one minute, and I doubt it eats away a lot of steel (30 x-strokes on a coticule with water).

Originally Posted by Pithor

It also has something to do with how far the edge is pushed in honing; a thinner (keener) edge will be able to take less damage than a slightly thicker edge (the damage being imparted by shaving). No matter how good your stropping, a razor honed up to 30.000 grit will deteriorate faster than one honed up to 10.000 grit.

Nope,,

It is the difference in Correct honing and Bad honing nothing to do with the Hone, but how it is used,,,

Using any hone incorrectly will result is a weak edge, nothing more than that...