Thread: Strop and oil the night before?

Hello,

I am wondering if anyone strops and oils their razor before going to bed, then shaves with the blade in the morning without stropping before or wiping the oil off?

I am thinking of doing this to save time in the morning and also because I seem to always be kinda brain dead in the morning and don't want to strop first thing cause I'm usually clumsy.

Perhaps I can strop a few times after the shave to "clean it" than really strop it up before bed.

What do you guys think?

I don't see why you couldn't...guys hone razors then strop then ship them off to other places and you can take them out and shave

I don't like that idea, and I'll tell you why.

I am NOT a morning person. For the majority of my life, I've been a night-owl. If I'm awake at 7 in the morning, 9 times out of 10, it's because I haven't gone to bed yet.

As you can imagine, I feel the same way when I get up for work.

Stropping in the morning does a few really great things for you though.

It forces you to slow down in the morning, take your time, and get into the flow of the thing. Using a straight isn't usually about getting the hair off your face. It's about the ritual.

There is a certain peacefulness about taking your time with your morning shave. You're completely focussed on the thing, but in a way that is relaxing. For me, that puts a great start on your day. The days when I'm in a hurry and just scrape the hair off with my DE feel different all day.

You're clumsy in the morning, but I bet 20 minutes with a straight razor and you're a lot more awake.

It ties in nicely with the face prep that you really need for a great straight shave. I shower first, then lather, and leave the lather sitting on my face while I strop. Granted, I have to re-lather before I actually start my shave, but it makes for a very pleasant experience.


All of those things mean looking and feeling better when you walk out of the house.

Originally Posted by VeeDubb65

I don't like that idea, and I'll tell you why.

I am NOT a morning person. For the majority of my life, I've been a night-owl. If I'm awake at 7 in the morning, 9 times out of 10, it's because I haven't gone to bed yet.

As you can imagine, I feel the same way when I get up for work.

Stropping in the morning does a few really great things for you though.

It forces you to slow down in the morning, take your time, and get into the flow of the thing. Using a straight isn't usually about getting the hair off your face. It's about the ritual.

There is a certain peacefulness about taking your time with your morning shave. You're completely focussed on the thing, but in a way that is relaxing. For me, that puts a great start on your day. The days when I'm in a hurry and just scrape the hair off with my DE feel different all day.

You're clumsy in the morning, but I bet 20 minutes with a straight razor and you're a lot more awake.

It ties in nicely with the face prep that you really need for a great straight shave. I shower first, then lather, and leave the lather sitting on my face while I strop. Granted, I have to re-lather before I actually start my shave, but it makes for a very pleasant experience.


All of those things mean looking and feeling better when you walk out of the house.

+1. I have also heard that letting an edge sit to long can bring it out of alignment. It kind of works the same way with steeling a kitchen knife. If you strop right after, the metal is in alignment. If you don't use it soon enough the metal can 'relax' and you won't have as refined an edge. Now razors are generally better quality than most mass produced kitchen knives. And this likely won't have any chance of happening over night, but it might if you left a razor for a couple of weeks.
In any case, I like to strop my razor every morning as it keeps me in tthe habit of doing my ritual.

VV,

Well, here's the deal - I don't think it's a big deal. I strop the morning of the shave or I strop the evening before the morning of the shave and haven't noticed any difference; then again, I'm no expert, or may be just numb faced.

There are those who contend the instant you put a razor down it begins to corrode, micro corrode. That could be true. And there are those who believe that stropping realigns fins on the edge. That could be true, too. But which of those truths is the more truthful, I have no clue.

Try it both ways and see what suits your face and technique best: empiricism always seems to be able to trump speculation.

My theory is that if you are too clumsy to strop in the morning, you are much too clumsy to shave with a Str8.

Originally Posted by VladimirVernadsky

Hello,

I am wondering if anyone strops and oils their razor before going to bed, then shaves with the blade in the morning without stropping before or wiping the oil off?

I don't think it matters much whether you strop the night before or the morning of each shave. I would; however, wipe the blade clean of any oil before I put it to my face, simply to avoid clogging pores and inviting breakouts or other skin irritation.

I think most of your plan will work fine, but, and this is important; if you have any doubts about your ability to strop in the morning then shaving with an oiled blade might be a problem.

So, hopefully you don't oil the shank?

I'm curious about why you would want to oil the blade at night. That part of the timing seems odd.

Let me put it this way. If you're going to shave and put down the razor all the real damage to the razor from moisture will occur in the first couple of hours. Oiling the blade at night will be several hours too late, won't it?

The stropping part I'm cool with.