Thread: Why Strop after honing if razor is shaving?

Respectfully, no. Or if you're calling it "overhoned" you really have the wrong word for it. No burr is involved in what I'm talking about. The resulting edge is absolutely sharp and smooth, no burr, no "fin".

Just going by what you typed,,, That edge you described would not be a desirable edge for a SR you might want to clarify if that isn't what you really meant but it is what you typed

If that is the edge you are making then it really is no surprise that it takes Stropping to make it comfortable.. whether you want to call it overhoning or not, that is the catchall phrase we tend to use on the shaving forums..

Originally Posted by mdarnton

Respectfully, no. Or if you're calling it "overhoned" you really have the wrong word for it. No burr is involved in what I'm talking about. The resulting edge is absolutely sharp and smooth, no burr, no "fin".

In woodworking, when using scrapers, you draw a burr, then you turn the burr.

Whenever someone asks "why?", my immediate thought is to say "why not?". A small adjustment in the way you think can sometimes open up a world of wonder and curiosity... anyway, I digest...

I agree with Carl - experiment and find out for yourself. Why not? We have a lot of "theory" here, but until you try it out and test it out that is all it is - theory. And in the end shaving is a practical exercise, so from a certain point of view you owe it to yourself to practice what we preach to see what works, and what doesn't, for you.

If you do that and report back what you find, you add another data point to the pool and we all benefit just that little bit more.

James.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

If you do that and report back what you find, you add another data point to the pool and we all benefit just that little bit more.

Very true. In my own experience even results from an early experiment may change as more general experience is gained. For instance, when I was a DE shaver I preferred Gillette Swedes and Feather blades. I had read a lot of guys praising the Derby blade and thought that they were terrible. Six months or so I tried them again and found them to be quite nice. Gentle and 'forgiving' compared to the Feather. The blades were the same batch and hadn't changed.

So my shave technique is what I attribute to the improvement. My stropping abilities have no doubt improved too, and I know by my results, compared to a few years ago, my straight razor shaving technique has. All I'm saying is try this and that and come back to it and try it again six months a year down the road and see if you find any difference.

Dear Fellow Members-Great responses and thanx! I did shave with one of the razors I honed last night without stropping . A little rough, but very close! Made sure to use shaving oil and a hot towel. Did not rush it either. Best shave ever with two passes-Gearhead.

I've shaved off the hones before with good results. Stropping will improve the smoothness, but it's definitely "doable". But the fact that stropping, especially material, helps to clean the edge of metal particles before the razor hits your face is enough to convince me to always strop first. That and microscope pics

Originally Posted by gearhead222

Still very much a newb, but it hit me tonight after honing on my Norton 4K/8K. Stropping is more for maintenance, as basic as this sounds, correct? Again, great forum!-Gearhead

Stropping after honing ensures that any loose debris is removed. I have a little Radio Shack 100X microscope and right after honing I can see little specks of metal both on the blade and on my finger after handling the blade.

I strop both before and after the shave to make sure the edge is clean of any debris (metal, soap, water residue). Stropping after the shave also ensures that the blade is as dry as you can get it.

Originally Posted by gearhead222

Dear Fellow Members-Great responses and thanx! I did shave with one of the razors I honed last night without stropping . A little rough, but very close! Made sure to use shaving oil and a hot towel. Did not rush it either. Best shave ever with two passes-Gearhead.

Your going to really go through the razors honing after ever shave instead of stropping