Thread: stropping before and after a shave

I know everybody strops there razors before shaving but does anybody strop there razors after a shave and if so how many times do do you strop after a shave and what is the point as the next time you bring the razor out you going to strop before you shave anyway whats he idea of stropping after a shave I am now totally confused about all this

I strop after the shave as well. I usually do about 15 linen and 20 on leather. It helps clean and dry the edge and realign it from the shave.

Originally Posted by Catrentshaving

I strop after the shave as well. I usually do about 15 linen and 20 on leather. It helps clean and dry the edge and realign it from the shave.

Yup, same here, for the same reasons

I think I need some help here I brought a nice English Bridle strop on the opposite of the stop it says there is a wool felt I have not got a linen one so where do I get one of these from I have dried the blade very carefully so would it be OK just to go and do the leather strop The strop I brought from Star Shaving Supplies and the strop i brought is nicked named " The Big Daddy" also i have got this white tube with a yellow band round it what is this for? sorry if this is on the wrong forum but my wife brought me this lovely Dovo Razor and this was the first time I used it today. I could only do one side of my face as i have just come out of hospital after a triple bypass and i am was allowed to stretch to much the ironic thing it gave me a lovely shave but on the left where i used my D/E i had nicks. And the other strange thing is after I shave with the Dovo I ran very gently along he blade and it did not feel as sharp as before but when wanted to check the blade to make sure it was dry before putting it away about half hour later it was scarely sharp as before when I shaved with it I had not stropped it after the shave can someone explain it to me please or an i imagining it

Originally Posted by Catrentshaving

I strop after the shave as well. I usually do about 15 linen and 20 on leather. It helps clean and dry the edge and realign it from the shave.

I agree with that. Pretty straightforward. I suggest you to continue stropping after the shave ECD

Originally Posted by ECD

I know everybody strops there razors before shaving but does anybody strop there razors after a shave and if so how many times do do you strop after a shave and what is the point as the next time you bring the razor out you going to strop before you shave anyway. I strop about 40x after the shave and 60x before the shave. Stropping after the shave will clean the edge, otherwise your edge will deteriorate due to the moist micro-crud left in the "teeth" of the edge whats he idea of stropping after a shave I am now totally confused about all this

Hope that helps. Try it yourself. Don't strop with a particular razor after the shave. Your edge will, I repeat, will go downhill quicker than stropping after the shave.

You can use the Wool Felt side in place of Linen.

Stropping after shaving is an oddly controversial topic. I can't be bothered to do it because it's just too much effort. I just dry the razor with a towel then tissue.

The white tube with the yellow band is Yellow paste. It's a conditioner for the leather side of your strop which is made from fat. I haven't used it.

Can't explain your testing of the razor edge. All I can say is that blades don't change sharpness by resting.

Lastly I'd like to wish you a good recovery from your bypass. Take care of yourself.

Michael

Originally Posted by ECD

I think I need some help here I brought a nice English Bridle strop on the opposite of the stop it says there is a wool felt I have not got a linen one so where do I get one of these from I have dried the blade very carefully so would it be OK just to go and do the leather strop The strop I brought from Star Shaving Supplies and the strop i brought is nicked named " The Big Daddy" also i have got this white tube with a yellow band round it what is this for? sorry if this is on the wrong forum but my wife brought me this lovely Dovo Razor and this was the first time I used it today. I could only do one side of my face as i have just come out of hospital after a triple bypass and i am was allowed to stretch to much the ironic thing it gave me a lovely shave but on the left where i used my D/E i had nicks. And the other strange thing is after I shave with the Dovo I ran very gently along he blade and it did not feel as sharp as before but when wanted to check the blade to make sure it was dry before putting it away about half hour later it was scarely sharp as before when I shaved with it I had not stropped it after the shave can someone explain it to me please or an i imagining it

Originally Posted by shooter74743

Hope that helps. Try it yourself. Don't strop with a particular razor after the shave. Your edge will, I repeat, will go downhill quicker than stropping after the shave.

I have heard that many times before. I dont strop after either. I use the blade in a "stropping " movement over a clean towel to dry.

I do 10/20 after. There have been reports that a blade relaxes/returns closer to normal after it rests.

Think of a piece of plastic you bend, it will return close to normal immediately,

if you lay it down and walk away for a while and come back it will be even closer to normal.

With plastics they call it memory.

So I can see the logic behind the thought but I have not personally seen scientific proof.

You don't need a linen or canvas strop, particularly if you have a felt side on your existing strop. In general you don't really need anything but a leather strop.

The Dovo yellow paste is, as stated above, purely a strop conditioning paste. I have used a pea-sized (or smaller in fact) amount on my leather strops maybe twice in the last 5 years. It is really only necessary to help soften and condition the leather after say a mishap (eg you cut the strop and have to sand out the nick) or if for some reason the leather dries out or needs to be made more supple.

If you dry the razor well and carefully (so as not to damage the delicate edge) after a shave there's no need to strop until your next shave. Many people only strop immediately prior to the shave. However, there is nothing wrong with also stropping immediately after a shave (again, having carefully dried the razor first). Sometimes I have just been walking past the bathroom in the middle of the day and given a razor a quick strop just for the sheer joy of it. You cannot strop too much or too frequently. Just make sure that when you do strop you do it correctly.

Be careful about touching the edge of a razor - it is delicate and you may damage it particularly if you use one of your fingernails. Using the thumb pad is OK but there is a knack to knowing what to feel for - perhaps you know that knack, I don't know. In any event, the weight of probability (in the absence of any other data regarding your experience in and knowledge of these matters) would suggest that the effect you experienced was more likely due to incorrect assessment of the edge than the edge regaining sharpness within a 1/2 hour period.

Good luck.

James.