Thread: Honing & Stropping

Hey everybody !

I'm fairly new to this convention of wet razor shaving. I'd like to educate myself before actually beginning to actually shave as I believe the information will be valuable, after all when you apply a wet blade to your face, you want to know you know everything !

I have a few questions regarding honing and stropping. I know their used for maintaining straight razors as well knives and other sharp objects.

1) How often should you hone a straight razor (1 use a week) ?!
2) How often should you strop between shaves ?!
3) Should you strop before or after shave ?!
4) Is it necessary to strop after honing a blade or is blade shave ready after honing ?!

Thanks ! Feel free to add anything else worth mentioning !

Razors honing needs depends on technique angle stiffness of the hair its cutting how many passes and how well you can strop, quality of the hone and quality of the steel. I strop after my shaves as this dries the edge and coats it with oil from the strop. I do 50 laps(back and forth), ANd stropping is always necessary after honing and I use webbing before leather after honing but not usually after each shave. Honing should last many shaves. When you first start its more often until your technique takes off a little. I shave at a low angle and at an angle to the stroke as head on shaving and scraping strokes can cause the edge to dull faster. A pasted strop like balsa or linen with crox(there are many others)
can be used to extend the times between honings.

IMHO it is best to have two, or more, shave ready razors and alternate between them. One would do but I feel better with at least two should something happen to one of the two. Or if one of the two should need a touch up and you don't have the time or inclination to tend to it immediately. I use a straight razor pretty much daily. I've gone thorough periods where I've used two, alternating day by day, for weeks at a time without requiring anything besides the routine stropping

. I have more so I tend to use various razors as the mood strikes, but one or two will do.

I used to always strop before and after the shave. Now, going by something I read in a very old article that Martin 103 posted I only strop after the shave. RInse, wipe with tissue and strop 20 or 30 on leather. This has been working well for me and I will continue to do it until it doesn't. That said, the general consensus is to strop linen/leather before each shave. I used to do 50/50 and you'll find members who have their own stropping routines. Bottom line is whatever works.

Stropping after the shave removes any micro grunge from the scratch pattern in the bevel. As noted above, it also provides the necessary readiness for the subsequent shave ..... IME.

According to the 1961 barber manual excerpt on honing and stropping (PDF from the SRP library/Wiki linked below) it is best to strop on leather only following honing. A very knowledgeable honemeister told me he always does linen first so that any residue that might become embedded in the leather is knocked off by the linen.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwi...t_-_Honing.pdf

I too shave with multiple razors in rotation, except that I may shave with the same razor for a week or two, then switch to a new razor. All of my rotation razors are stored sharp and stropped. Multipe razors do make it easier.

If I am shaving a razor I will clean it well with hot running water, post shaving and dry with a microfiber cloth. The next morning I strop it on clean nylon or paper to remove any soap skin residue and oxidation, then strop on strop of choice.

1. I have razors in rotation that have not seen a hone in years. It is very possible to maintain a razor in optimum shave ready condition for multiple years with just a strop.

The qualification to that statement is, "if having acquired the stropping skill." Novice shavers that have not the stropping skill yet, will most probably damage a freshly honed edge while learning to strop. A razor’s edge is very fragile.

2. I do not strop between shaves, I strop before I shave with that razor, or if the razor is going to be benched, put away in rotation. I strop prior to storage to remove any remaining Schmutz on the bevel and edge that may cause rust.

3. I strop before each shave or after if the razor will be retired.

4. After honing rarely is a blade truly shave ready. It can most always be improved by stropping either on a plain medium or with paste. I have and do occasionally shave straight off hones mostly to experiment with a new hone or technique. I have yet to find a hone that leaves an edge that cannot be improved with paste. Remember at best, the hone is 20 possibly 30K grit in finish… Paste can go up to 160K grit in finish. How can it not be better?

Really though it is a matter of preference, no two of us are using the exact same equipment, technique or have the same skin or beard type. Paste and stropping is for comfort.

The biggest hurdle is learning to strop without doing damage. It just takes time. It is a well-accepted axiom, that it takes 1,000 “perfect” repetitions of doing one thing before it becomes a habit, or is acquired as a skill.

So if you strop daily… about 3 years.

I strop on linen & plain leather just before each and every shave. The linen first to remove any soap etc leftover from the prior shave. That helps keep my leather strop clean.

Touchup honing is only done when the razors edge does not suit me anymore.

Just my 2¢

Originally Posted by Don164

1) How often should you hone a straight razor (1 use a week) ?!
2) How often should you strop between shaves ?!
3) Should you strop before or after shave ?!
4) Is it necessary to strop after honing a blade or is blade shave ready after honing ?!

I touch up a razor whenever it needs it...ie, whenever I'm not satisfied any longer with
how it shaves: if it pulls, if it leaves stubble, if it just doesn't feel right.

I strop both before and after a shave.

I strop about twice as long after honing as I do before a shave. It makes a difference.

If the edge is "not quite there", I'll give it a few laps on a pasted (sprayed) strop, and
give it another try.

If it's still not good enough, then it's back to the stones...beginning with the highest
grit stone that I have, and working back to lower grits if necessary.

Any problems I may have are usually related to my technique, be it honing, stropping,
or shaving. The trick is to figure out which is which.

IMHO, YMMV, etc.

Good luck!

Paul