Thread: Edge durability

I posted this question in a thread in the strops forum as well, but this seems like a better place for the discussion. (Or not.)

For those of you with coarse beards, how do you prep your edge, and how long does it last?

I'm on my third shave with a 5/8 half hollow Solingen. I use a Norton 4K/8K combo followed by 1 and .5 micron pastes on a Tony Miller leather paddle strop.

This morning I tested my razor before stropping. It broke hairs, but didn't cut them cleanly. After 30 laps on the linen, it was back to popping hairs. About 50 strokes with medium-easing-to-light pressure on the leather put an even finer edge on the razor. Cut cleanly through hanging hairs.

Should I notice this much dulling between stropping sessions? I'm wondering if my edge isn't a little weak. I think I'll experiment with stropping during the shave. I'd hate to have to do that in the long run; it would be a pain.

Finer grits create sharper but more fragile edges, especially if you overdo it. When your honing isn't quite up to snuff it's easy to lean on the pastes to create a sharp edge that you couldn't on the hone. But the pastes generally create a more fragile edge, I suspect it's because of the drawing action thins the edge. You're better off making a shaving quality edge on the hones, and doing as few passes on the paddles as you need to smooth the edge. And don't go any finer than you need for comfort - finer grits tend to make a weaker edge.

I stop at 8K, partially for some of these exact reasons.

Originally Posted by joshearl

I'm on my third shave with a 5/8 half hollow Solingen. I use a Norton 4K/8K combo followed by 1 and .5 micron pastes on a Tony Miller leather paddle strop.

If you have a heavy beard you might try stopping at 1 micron. It should give you a much more durable edge. If that helps try stopping at 8K. It's all aquestion of how comfortable the edge feels with a coarser hone.

You might try just 10 strokes on the .5 micron paste followed by stropping just on the leather and see if that gets it there. From that point on, you would just need the leather until the razor starts dulling.

Lynn