From hone to strop then back

[Gasman]

Ive be experimenting and found that when on the 12k naniwa, undercutting the water, done honing, ill go to the leather strop for 30 laps, then if i go back to the 12k it takes 20 or so laps to start undercutting water again.

Is this a normal thing? Why would it happen? I would think when i went back to the hone it should undercut water right away. Acts like the strop is making edge no longer straight.

Opinions?

[RayClem]

When you hone a razor, you are using a surface that is flat (assuming the hone has been properly lapped). If your honing technique is good, you will be creating a sharp/keen edge that may or may not be smooth, depending upon the characteristics of the finishing hone.

If you strop your razor on a hanging strop, you are stropping on a surface that is concave rather than flat. The process rounds off the apex of the razor. That process makes the edge smoother, but less keen. The rounding of the edge is the reason the edge no longer undercuts water on your flat stone.

A bench strop still has a slight amount of concavity due to compression of the substrate (balsa, leather, cloth). However, the concavity will be less than that of a hanging strop. I have one bench strop that is made from very thin kangaroo leather glued to glass. That combination has very little concavity, so it maintains the keenness of the edge. I use it with Ken's 0.1 micron CBN spray to produce a very keen edge.

In sharpening a razor, you try to achieve the balance of keen and smooth that works for your beard and face. For each of us, the process to get there will be slightly different. That is why I like honing my own blades rather than sending them out for honing.

[JP5]

Interesting question Jerry. I have wondered if there were any benefits to stropping before finishing honing on stones.

[Gasman]

Im not sure if there is a benifit or not, but ive been doing this at the end/12k level. Hoping its helping me. Ive also tried a couple spine leading stokes thinking it might pull the edge straight.

My honing is still hit and miss. So im trying a few things to see if it helps. I did two this weekend. Keen but not keen enough. Went back to the 3k and started over with little time on each hone (20 to 25 laps). Fixed whatever i missed the first time.

But thats another story. Still enterested about this back to the stone after stropping. Does it help or not?

[RayClem]

Jerry

I have a fast-growing, tough, white beard and sensitive skin. I have never been able to get a great shave using a 12K synthetic hone plus stropping. on leather. The edge is either too harsh, or not keen enough. I have not tried the finer synthetic hones like the Suehiro 20K or the 16 or 30K Shaptons.

I find I get better edges off very fine natural hones. I like my Greek Vermio, and Welch Llyn Melynllyn (Yellow Lake). Although it gets a lot of bad press, I can get a great edge off my ILR. Perhaps, I got a good one.

I also find that bench strops with 0.5 micron, 0.25 micron, and 0.1 micron CBN help me find and maintain the right combination of keen and smooth that I could never achieve on the 12K synthetic plus clean leather.

Ray

[Gasman]

Thanks for the comment Ray. I dont have sensitive skin but everything else is true here. I find the 12k to be keen but not very comfortable so im trying a few new things. The natural stones dont like me as i dont seem to get a good edge with one yet but im still learning. I got a long way to go when it comes to honing.

I just couldnt understand why stropping deminished the edge. Guess now i have an idea why plus i only have hanging strops. I think my stropping is good but i always wonder about it.