Thread: Crud on the bevel

My normal post shave routine is 16 laps on web and 15 to 20 on leather to dry the edge.
Well last night I had the eye loupe in the bathroom to look at the edge after some stropping that I was doing different.
Just for grins, I looked at the bevel just before putting the blade away after the post routine.
I was very surprised at the cheesy looking crud on the bevel.
I didn't think I cut corners on the post routine, but there is was, a cheesy residue .
Looks like the number of laps on the post deal will be increased.
Kind of makes me wonder if my strop technique is lacking.

Is it possible your strop is releasing cheesy looking crud?

You can clean the blade by wiping it with tissue. Do that and confirm with the loupe that the blade is clean then strop and use the loupe again. If the strop is not the problem then it probably is a stropping technique issue. Specifically, you are stropping the spine and not the edge.

Are you using paste on the web? If so there may be too much on it and it is transferring to the edge. Wipe it down with paper towel to get most off. Then get rest with alcohol wipe. I have my strop for 25-30 years. It was vintage when I got it but it is in great shape.

If you are not wiping down your blade properly, all that residue, soap, skin, blood and oxidation,(rust) is getting on your strops.
Rinse in hot running water and then dry with a microfiber towel, 3-4 times to remove all the stuff.

Take a clean damp white paper towel and wipe your strops separately and see what comes off, you may be surprised. Linen and webbing can be washed, and webbing is not that expensive to replace.

All that “cheese” can scratch the bevel and lead to chipping of the edge.

Okay, did it again.
After last night's shave I did my normal 'dry the edge' strop routine.
Checked with the loupe, and there was the cheese again.
I wiped it clean with a dry tissue and did the clean-up stropping. It stayed clean.
The very edge appeared to be clean with the crud farther up the bevel. So, the strop is working, but only at the very edge.
I have to be more diligent with the initial toweling when drying the blade to be sure the bevel is well wiped.
This whole thing caught me by surprise.

Some soaps leave more residue that others.

I have been using a tub of Mitchell’s Wool Fat and noticed a lot of residue in my sink.

Try a different soap and see if it makes a difference.

I hear guys say that the just rinse the blade and wipe dry, and think I really should try their soaps. Me, I need to wipe the blade with a soaking-wet washcloth when I rinse it, and only _then_ wipe dry. Otherwise, crud, crud, crud.

Try a microfiber towel.

Originally Posted by deepweeds

I hear guys say that the just rinse the blade and wipe dry, and think I really should try their soaps. Me, I need to wipe the blade with a soaking-wet washcloth when I rinse it, and only _then_ wipe dry. Otherwise, crud, crud, crud.

That is what I need to do. I though I was getting it done with a dry microfiber, but not so.

I do three things to protect my razors during and after a shave.

1. I never let the blade near water. Lather is removed by a dry wash cloth.

2. After shaving I immediately strop the blade 5 strokes on a newspaper strop that has been lightly soaked with mineral oil. This both removes crud from the bevel and edge while also applies oil to the most critical part of the blade. (I use a similar but separate strop for preliminary stropping after honing.)

3. Lastly I wipe the entire blade with a Tyvek cloth that also has been impregnated with mineral oil.