Thread: Do Professional Honemeisters Strop Before Returuning Your Razor?

I'm new to straights and I see people being referred to pros for sharpening frequently. Do the pros stop before returning or do they just hone? Can you get your razor any way you want? Does shave ready mean it just came off a hone or does that entail stropping also?

Whenever I have had a razor honed by a professional it has always been stropped after the hones. Shave ready does mean exactly that, you should be able to shave with it as is. Some people will still strop the razor first, but I have never needed to for the first shave.

In addition, most honers will hone in a way that you would like. Some of them for example will have many hones, so if you say you have a 12K finisher and would like your razor to be honed on one so that you can compare their edge to yours they will try to accommodate you.

They are generally a friendly bunch and like nothing more than talking about razors and hones, so drop them a line and they will be more than happy to help you out.

Good luck.

I consider myself a professional of the highest order know to man and I strop after honing

They will often suggest to a newbie not to strop before the first use just to make sure that no damage is done to the edge from improper stropping. This way they know how a properly honed razor should feel like without adding any other variables.

I don't even wash off the oil. Just shave and enjoy.

Not a professional honer, but when I send someone a razor, I usually request they shave with it once before doing anything. A marginal strop can take a lot of smoothness and sharpness out of an edge.

Originally Posted by duke762

I'm new to straights and I see people being referred to pros for sharpening frequently. Do the pros stop before returning or do they just hone? Can you get your razor any way you want? Does shave ready mean it just came off a hone or does that entail stropping also?

Yes sir. After final finish they should strop, shave test, disinfect and oil the blade before sending back out. Normally there will be a note to the effect “Your razor or razors are shave ready right out of the package. DO NOT strop until after your first few shaving sessions”.

The reason is the edge can be “rolled” with improper stropping technique and ruined. Some may offer to do special requests but you have to rely on the person doing the honing to tell you what your razor blade is capable of. Not all razors are the same is an understatement.
MIke

Originally Posted by rolodave

I don't even wash off the oil. Just shave and enjoy.

Ok good, I'm not the only one

I would hope they do unless asked not to for some reason.

Im NOT a professional, just a man with too many hones and occasionally enough time to hone a razor, and if I am selling a razor it will of come off the hones been stropped tested, sanitised and then re-stropped.