double edge blade stroping....

**matloffm** · 05-29-2013, 10:47 PM

The original safety razors used a thick blade that was meant to be honed and stropped. Modern DE blades are designed to be disposable. They are so inexpensive that I cannot see any reason to try and extend their useful life. The goal of a modern DE blade is up to 3 (yes, some can go longer then that for some shavers) good shaves. Instead of trying to resharpen them, you get a consistent edge by replacing them. If you want to maintain the blade edge, I have some straights you might be interested in.

**Trimmy72** · 05-29-2013, 11:34 PM

I've hand stropped Modern DE blades and have had "some" last comfortably for 30 head and face shaves. I will point out though it is a rarity and believe it's only removing soap and hair debris that gunked the edge up, getting an extra 2 shaves for me is more common. So if your after the nostalgia of the routine go for it. Hand stropping a DE blade - YouTube

**Ryan82** · 06-02-2013, 10:08 PM

I've experimented with palm stropping too and it works, but it's not the miracle cure to blade longevity. For me it usually allows a couple more comfortable shaves out of a blade than normal.

**earcutter** · 06-02-2013, 10:19 PM

Originally Posted by Ryan82

I've experimented with palm stropping too and it works, but it's not the miracle cure to blade longevity. For me it usually allows a couple more comfortable shaves out of a blade than normal.

What a pain though!!

**25609289** · 06-04-2013, 02:16 AM

I think some people don't understand. It is not about the expense or frugality. It is the challenge to see if you can do it. I have spent some time honing and stropping de blades in addition to a lot of old single edge blades that were meant to be resharpened. I use a straight , but if not I might try more on the modern de blades. As has been stated they have a coating and the results are iffy.

**Ryan82** · 06-04-2013, 02:49 AM

Originally Posted by 25609289

I think some people don't understand. It is not about the expense or frugality. It is the challenge to see if you can do it.

I agree, but the challenge aspect only goes so far. Eventually you get bored and simply go back to, well, shaving

**niftyshaving** · 06-04-2013, 04:01 AM

Originally Posted by 25609289

I think some people don't understand. It is not about the expense or frugality. It is the challenge
.....

Durn you talked me into trying.
But today my open blade razor shave was smoother than many a new DE blade.
Perhaps it was the "Latherin"...

**tintin** · 07-05-2013, 12:09 PM

I've tried palm stropping, pants stropping and using the inside of a glass. They all seem to do nothing maybe even make the blade worse. What I have found to work (I'm still on the first blade I've tried this with) is to not wipe the blade off,( which i think has more to do with bending the feather edge than wiping off the coating,after all it the coating is that delicate than why doesn't shaving wipe it off) and to make a conscious effort to flip the blade with each shave. I'm on at least my second week with this blade(every other day shaves) and still no tugging.

**jjw509** · 07-25-2013, 04:04 PM

I personally have not tried this but I think it would work like stropping. I have seen suggestion to cork the blade. You take a wine cork and run the blade lengthwise across the cork. The cork is soft enough not to dull much but I think it might straighten the edge as you would do with a strop. Again I haven't tried it but I have heard people who think feathers are a little rough say that it takes the roughness out.

**BobH** · 07-25-2013, 04:28 PM

The Swiss company Allegro made a honing/stropping device for SE blades and with a different blade holder DE blades http://straightrazorpalace.com/show-...ck-holder.html .

Bob

Thread: double edge blade stroping....

LinkBack

Thread Tools

Display

The Following User Says Thank You to Trimmy72 For This Useful Post:

Posting Permissions