Thread: is stropping really necessary???

I'm in the same boat with you. I can strop every 3rd shave or so, without noticing any real difference.

To get the most comfortable shave I strop deeply, with pressure. That is the way I was taught to do it, so that is the way I've always gravitated to.

I don't notice much difference if I strop really lightly as is usually suggested.

The problem is that I have a pretty rough face and can handle pretty much anything. Shoot I can even shave with an electric now and then.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

The problem is that I have a pretty rough face and can handle pretty much anything. Shoot I can even shave with an electric now and then.

OMG !!! That is flintskin Alan from now on

While we're experimenting around here, I'm going to see how long one of my blades shaves well without stropping. My ritual has been to strop every evening and shave the next morning, but I'm going to see what happens if I forego stropping and see how many shaves it takes to notice a difference.

I got my Dovo back from Lynn and he, along with a few other "seasoned" veterans suggested to me to shave without stropping a few time. Even some really great mentors. It might have been my stropping that could have dulled down an edge if I was not careful in doing it. By not stropping, I was giving the razor the opportunity to provide me a fresh honed shave. Of couse Lynn stropped and shaved with it himself, but, I think it takes a little while for the razor to dull down enough to need "freshning up" on the strop.

I used to shave with 2 blade disposables. I never threw one away until I had shaved with it for at leat a month, or many shaves. I could tell. I could feel the razor not cutting like it used to, perhaps dragging a bit and not getting the job done on the first pass. At the end of the shave I THEN pitched it and started fresh again with a new razor. If I can shave that many times with a factory mass-produced blade, I can surely shave a time or 3 with a straight before needing to give it 40 lashes. Besides, I really think about 10-15 good complete cycles are, or should be enough to bring the razor edge back to even again. You aren't shapening the razor on a strop, but merely re-aligning the fine edge to be even again.

You guys are really, really, generalizing here...

So much of this is a personal thing, you are not even saying what type of razor you are talking about here, you are generalizing the stropping itself.. What strops, even what type of strop..
This is not even taking into account the differences in beards...

Stropping recommendations are set up to get people started, they have never been set in stone, that 25/50 linen/leather on a standard length hanging strop is just a starting point... There are tons of variables to adjust from there, besides the fact that as you get better at it, your stropping becomes more effective...

The burnishing effect on the razor's edge from the strop is more important for removing micro corrosion, and helping the "smooth" not the sharp.. This leads to the skip a day thing... If you use the same razor each day you might be able to skip a day better then the guy that has a larger rotation, because the corrosion is less of a factor.. The burnishing effect on the bevel of the razor however, would be effected by changes in your routine..

I am just bringing up a few variables here, there are tons I am missing..

You really have to adjust your stropping to your unique situation, then realize that as you progress and learn it might adjust too...

And just because you can skip a day doesn't mean there is a valid reason to.

My fear has always been that if you don't feel much difference from stropping how can you be certain your doing it right?

Daily stropping maintains the edge of your razor and prolongs the life of your edge. Generally, even daily stropping does not eradicate the need for future honing. Very few are able to maintain an edge indefinitely on a strop. So yea, the wear on your edge is quite small during a shave, and you certainly can shave several times without stropping - but it will require honing (much) sooner.

I sometimes forget to strop, it could happen if I'm in a hurry on the morning before shuffling off to work. It leaves me with a feeling that I degraded the edge, and I'll strop it more thoroughly next time I use it.

As Glen mentioned, there are so many variables, that there is no way to make an overall 'correct' procedure for everyone. I finish my razors with .050 micron diamond oil and there is no need to strop for the first shave. But after the first shave it is necessary.
People shave off razors finished on 8000 stones, which I'm sure requires stropping.
The razors I have from say 1850 and before don't even finish better than off an Escher. The steel seems not as fine grained, and these very much require stropping.
Even American razors from the early 1900's, which hold an edge for an incredibly long time, are made so much more enjoyable with stropping.
I'm thinking that the accepted stropping to finish an edge, as well as prior to shaving, is simply easier and more 'face friendly', than to find the limits of what your face will tolerate if you don't.

Just my thoughts.
Ed
quicknicker

I definately notice the difference when I dont strop. I strop before and after every shave and I find it helps keeps the edge in really good shape and extends the time between honings.

I can't speak for everyone, but my face can feel the difference between a stropped razor and an unstropped razor. I can even feel the difference between a well stropped razor and a poorly stropped razor. I guess if there's an upside to having sensitive skin it's instant feedback

IMO stropping is a daily necessity. If you don't believe me take a razor that hasn't been recently honed or touched up and try shaving without stropping once or twice. You'll be able to tell....