Thread: Question about post-shave stropping

I was discussing the subject of straight razors with an authorized Dovo US distributor a while back, and she told me that once, when she had met with the Dovo representative from Solingen regarding products, he had told her that it was a common contemporary misconception that straight razors should be stropped both before and after shaving. She said he stated that it was actually bad for (excessively hard on) the blade to strop the edge immediately after shaving with it, and that the blade should be left to "rest" for a day or two before stropping it again, prior to shaving. She also told me that this was why, historically, most men owned at least two straight razors at any one time, so that they could let one rest for a day or two before stropping and using it again. She also stated that wealthy men, who could afford it, owned the once-popular seven-day set of straight razors for the same reason. Has anyone ever heard that? What are people's opinions about post-shave stropping?

That's been around for many years. And there are opinions about it for many years. Since shaving is not a science there can be no scientific method to determine it one way or another. Run an experiment to test the hypothesis. Be ready for the many posts coming your way on this.

I decided to test this theory by shaving with one blade seven days in a row while resting another razor to gauge the difference. The blade that I was continuing to use seemed to do fine, but the blade I rested seemed lazy, listless, was difficult to wake up and get shaving, and I thought I heard distinct "yawning" sounds while it was going through the whiskers. Maybe I made a mistake by dipping it in alcohol prior to putting it to bed? It seemed a little shaky as well. I've sent it off to a Sleep Disorder Clinic for a refresh.

I am going to try it for a couple weeks

I am going to see if I notice a difference in the shave and under a microscope. I doubt stropping afterwards has ill effects on the edge. I do have a growing rotation so all my edges are resting far more than working. I strop afterwards to dry, clean, and polish before the razor goes to the bullpen

SRP is awesome. I love testing all these ideas

Originally Posted by JTmke

I am going to try it for a couple weeks...

Thank you, JTmke. I'm sure many of us will be interested in reading your results once you conclude your study.

I have two Boker Edelweiss 5/8 razors. Both honed by me. I am going to strop the vintage and rest the new every other day. I will be using the same castle forbes and Kent brush. I will try to be as objective as a man in love with his razors can be. I will miss my other razors terribly but this is for science... well sort of.

Originally Posted by JTmke

I have two Boker Edelweiss 5/8 razors. Both honed by me. I am going to strop the vintage and rest the new every other day. I will be using the same castle forbes and Kent brush. I will try to be as objective as a man in love with his razors can be. I will miss my other razors terribly but this is for science... well sort of.

Sounds like a very sound operational design. Good control group, too!

"I strop afterwards to dry, clean, and polish....."

As do I. A few laps on the strop is a good way to help make sure the blade is nice and dry. I would much rather have "tired steel" than water spots, rust, or some other nasty discoloration due to moisture. Seldom if ever do I use a straight razor two days (or more) in a row. I surely am not set up to debate the merits of this issue with someone who works for a razor manufacturer, but I would be most interested to see by what method(s) Dovo was able to come to this conclusion.

Originally Posted by Phoenix51

"I strop afterwards to dry, clean, and polish....."

As do I. A few laps on the strop is a good way to help make sure the blade is nice and dry. I would much rather have "tired steel" than water spots, rust, or some other nasty discoloration due to moisture. Seldom if ever do I use a straight razor two days (or more) in a row.

No, I certainly would not want to suggest or encourage even the slightest omission in maintaining the blade and protecting it from any corrosion or oxidation. I'm very new to their use, personally, but even I acknowledge the vulnerability of carbon steel, or any steel, for that matter. I go over all my blades with a dry cloth, and a pipe cleaner for the tight spots, and then use Ballistol thoroughly to coat all my metal surfaces prone to degradation from moisture immediately after use. But stropping is more about realigning the metal at the edge of the blade (without removing any, as in honing) to increase its cutting effectiveness, right?

The resting has been mentioned countless times in many articles, from my own experienced its a myth. That said stropping after the shave yields a totally different outcome, read the articles below.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...my-1841-a.html
http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...ca-1841-a.html