double edge blade stroping....

**PaulA** · 05-26-2013, 06:43 PM

Physical it's possible, but does it improve the blade or does the blade last longer regarding number of shaves????

**thebigspendur** · 05-26-2013, 07:56 PM

Modern blades are really inferior to the old ones. The old ones like the gillette blue was carbon steel and when it dulled you could strop-hone them. Newer blades shave better because of the coating on them. Take the coating off and you have a very rough stainless blade. If you want to strop one of those the work probably isn't worth the cost of a new blade.

**PaulA** · 05-26-2013, 08:36 PM

What is the coating you mention? and how long before it wears off?

**thebigspendur** · 05-27-2013, 03:59 AM

Originally Posted by PaulA

What is the coating you mention? and how long before it wears off?

All modern blades have coatings. Platinum of some kind or teflon or some other substance. The manufacturers tell you not to wipe the blade after use. The coating is microns thin. Most DE blades last 3-5 shaves and that's how long the coatings last.

**PaulA** · 05-27-2013, 01:39 PM

That makes sense.....no more wiping the blade.

Thanks.....

**Jimbo** · 05-27-2013, 07:27 PM

I remember once making a strop for a fellow for a safety razor - I think it was called an Velet Autostrop and I think it was a single edged razor. Not sure if there are many around and I guess they are probably all vintage if you find one, but they were definitely made to be stropped.

James.

**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!!

**niftyshaving** · 05-27-2013, 10:21 PM

Originally Posted by PaulA

Physical it's possible, but does it improve the blade or does the blade last longer regarding number of shaves????

As others noted almost all DE blades have a thin PTFE (teflon) coating.
PTFE is a world class improvement to any razor... however the heat needed to fuse
it to the blade harms the temper.

The steel of DE blades is darn fine steel. I have started saving all my DE blades.
Perhaps one of the hammer and fire folk could crucible fuse or hammer weld them
and spit a razor out for me ;-)

People have been trying to do this forever. If it was easy the razor landscape would be very different.

A DE has a built in compare and contrast trick. Try something on one edge. Mark with ink and
shave test. A clever person could make a Rolls razor like strop/ hone that used modern hones
and automated the process.

I think folk will find that the temper of the steel has suffered and the PTFE combined with Pt/Cr
and electric etched final edges do not leave a working edge that resharpens worth a darn.

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