Post-hone stropping

This might be a stupid question, but apart from a pasted strop, is there any point in stropping a razor right after honing it? This is assuming you aren't going to shave with it right away.

I don't. I always thought that as long as you strop before each shave that stropping after honing wasn't needed.
I can't see any harm in doing it though.

Stropping realigns the edge. However, periodic honing is always necessary as the edge will gradually be worn away.

I strop after honing because I find it necessary before testing the edge. Ex, my blades won't pass a HHT straight off the stones, they need stropping first.

Stropping does refine the edge created by the hone, in my opinion. The fact that many guys report a change in how the razor handles the HHT when stropped after honing seems to support this. My old barber manual also teaches this practice.

The few times I've tried shaving off the hone "encouraged" me to always strop first. :)

I'll be interested to see what other guys find...

Josh

I read it as, "Is there a need to strop a fresh honed razor when you are not going to use it right away but maybe store it for a bit"

My answer is: No need to strop a fresh honed razor unless you intend to shave with it straight away. Stropping is only required for the final step in preparing a razor for shaving.

PuFF

Interestingly enough, how many of you would do the following:

(in actual order)

- Honed razor
- Strop on a pasted strop or any number of these

and then:

- Strop on ordinary, unpasted strop??

all barbers manuals advice stropping after honing, but stress that stropping on linen can be excluded. I do so...

Nenad

As Ilija taught me - I refuse to shave with an unstropped razor. I even like to strop between passes, sometimes. Methinks I get better shaves this way

Cheers
Ivo

PS yes: I hone, then strop on Chromium, and then finish on leather quite often. In fact, I add stropping on leather between the stone and Chromium too :D

I strop after honing, 1st on linen then on leather.

After the hone I just go with the plain leather. After the shave I will go linen/leather, doing the same before my next shave and so on. If I feel the edge is starting to loose it I will go with the pasted strops to refresh the edge.

PuFF

Thanks for the replies people!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Kees

I strop after honing, 1st on linen then on leather.

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Same here... I do at least 60 on each and sometimes more. After that simple stropping will keep it sharp for ages.

I strop after honing myself. Usually 30 linen/ 30 leather

I only strop just before shaving.

After honing I will usually strop on Linen about 10 passes and then 30 passes on a plain leather strop. Then if I shave the next day with it I'll strop on plain leather about 30x again.