Thread: A stropping challenge

I spent this weekend at a forge learning the ways of knife making. During my stay an interesting piece of knowledge was passed along. I tried it this morning, HOLY CRUD!!! It really works.

This is what you need for the challenge:
A honed razor that you are familiar with the edge qualities either personally sharpened or professionally sharpened.
A finish stone like a Swaty or something similar.

Here is the challenge:
Instead of stropping the razor, no leather at all. I would like you to strop the razor on your finish hone, usually 5 or 6 times per side. Feel the edge before the strop and after. Is there an appreciable difference? Strop again 3 or 4 times. Feel the edge. Shave. Was there a difference? Try this for 2 weeks with the same razor. No leather stropping only strop on the stone when you feel an appreciable difference in the edge with your fingers. No stropping between passes either. Stone only. By appreciable difference I mean that if you put your thumb on the spine and place your first three fingers on the blade and move them lightly back and forth the edge should feel "sticky". You will notice that it will get "stickier" the sharper it gets. There is a point of over sharpening though so do not go nuts.

I did this with my 7/8 FBU this morning. BBS in one pass and I was having problems getting that blade to come up.

After 2 weeks I will explain the logic behind this seeming madness.

Have fun and please let me know your thoughts on this.

I would think that sooner or later you would screw up your edge. There is a reason why you only need a barbers hone once every 2-3 months.

Being that there is a lot less metal on a razor than a kitchen knife would you not eat the razor long before it's time doing this?

Surprisingly no. Razors do have a finite life span due to edge geometry etc but I am not talking about grinding your razor. You probably will only need to hit the stone maybe once after the first go and that may be only 2 time each side.

I mean the razor is sharp now right? So instead of stropping 100 laps on leather go 5 laps on the stone each side. Seriously try it.

It will make a huge difference.

hmmmm think i'll stick to the leather....Im sure it has great short term results, within a few months your lovely 7/8 might become a 1/8...

Sounds like something from Murray Carter, I'm kind of inline with that thinking already. I only strop 10 to 15 times as is.

I haven't seen much wear on my razors at all, and they only hit the stones once a month or so. But I also have 9 blades in rotation

Give that man a cookie.

Yep great weekend with an eye popping education.

Do you mean actually strop? Like, spine leading? Or edge leading.

Originally Posted by JimR

Do you mean actually strop? Like, spine leading? Or edge leading.

I was wondering exactly the same thing.

Spine leading. Actual strop motion.