How many strokes on a Norton 4/8K?
After shaving with my razor, which is a Pribyl Bros. full-hollow, for about a month, I noticed a distinct decrease in shave performance. Possibly due to the fact that I have a really coarse beard growth that grows in multiple directions, and I have to shave Mon-Fri due to Army regs.
So, I decided to touch up the edge with my hone. In the beginning, I went 50 strokes on each edge on the 4K, and 100 on the 8k. I used an X pattern, no tape, razor flat on the stone with my fingers lightly resting on the body of the blade between the spine and the edge to ensure that the razor did not lift up during the stroke. I would rinse the stone after every few passes.
Afterwards, I stropped on a clean linen strop (50 strokes) and leather strop (100 strokes).
The shave I took afterwards was horrible! The razor was not skipping or tugging, but it felt like it was not cutting at all.
So, I went back to the hone the next day, and did 10 strokes on the 4K, and 20 strokes on the 8K. Stropped same as above. The shave was much, much better!
So, how many stokes on a hone?
I think that another part of my problem was that i was stropping incorrectly...not pulling the strop tight enough and applying too much pressure to the trailing edge of the blade on the backstroke (towards me). I have since taken steps to mitigate that issue. What I found was that, instead of trying to roll the razor on the spine for the backstroke, it helps me to actually lift the razor off the strop as I turn it over, then place it back on the strop for the stroke. Less stress on the wrist, more control over the razor and stroke.