Thread: Stropping Before Honing

Chances are that someone has already firgured this one out...

when I hone a kitchen knife, I always run it over a steel a few times first, the idea being that I will not remove any more steel than necessary.

So with a Razor, is it better to strop before honing, or to go straight to the hone, and remove the possibly weakened material from the edge?

Originally Posted by catbone

Chances are that someone has already firgured this one out...

when I hone a kitchen knife, I always run it over a steel a few times first, the idea being that I will not remove any more steel than necessary.

So with a Razor, is it better to strop before honing, or to go straight to the hone, and remove the possibly weakened material from the edge?

Funny you should ask. I always strop before honing as well, but I wonder if it's necessary – no one ever seems to mention it.

I should specify, I strop before fine finishing hones. If it's an ebay razor and I'm taking it from the top, or even a razor with a good bevel but dull so I'm going to the Blue or the Tam, I don't bother stropping.

I don't see the point of stropping first. The strop just dresses the edge. The hone in a couple strokes will undo whatever the strop did. Kind of like washing the car when you know its going to rain later and you have to take the car out later.

Well, I don't do it. Or at least almost never do it.

However - I have experienced this: NOS clean razor to just lapped hone and mysteriously received a chip (small, but not the usual edge microchipping. This has happened maybe 2 times or so. In retrospect, maybe the edge was not totally aligned and that's why the hone ate the steel. AND MAYBE - if I had stropped before going to the hone - I could have avoided this

Cheers
Ivo

I pass the razor over a strop between grades of hone just to clean/de-nib the edge before the next hone. Can't say if this is needed but instict told me that it may help and if not would do no harm.

PuFF

At first glance it seems this would be like wiping before you poop...


/Thanks, Larry the Cable Guy

I strop before honing if it's just a touchup, a few rougher laps on linen, then leather just to make sure I'm starting with a straight, uniform edge.