Thread: Largest number of shaves before rehoning or using a loaded strop?

Just a question for folks.

My strop (horse leather) has settled in nicely now and the surface is like glass, but just every so slightly and gently abrasive. It's bare (no abrasive, just tanned leather, not even finished or dyed), I never use a hanging strop with compound on it because I don't like what it does to edge geometry.

I have about 24 or 25 shaves on the razor I'm using now (two pass shave, every day), and it isn't close to needing to go to the hones.

The edge is still nicer (smoother and sharper) than it was coming off of the chromium oxide balsa strop the last time I honed it.

I remember seeing people before saying they shave for a month before they touch up a razor, but I didn't believe it. I do now. If something doesn't change, I might be able to get multiples more than I've gone so far just because the strop is just right for the razor.

What's the largest number of shaves you've done *without discomfort or dullness* before you rehoned or went to a loaded strop or a maintenance hone for a refresher?

Again, if it involves an abrasive, then you're out - bare leather only for maintenance.

Probably no more than 10 or something like that, my razors usually gets rehoned or given a new finish way before they get dull, I just have too much fun honing and trying different finishers

Seven and then I change the blade in the Feather! On the reg straight, i use a barber hone after each use.

Like Zephyr, my razors gets honed way too often
It is just to much fun playing around with all the various hones and finishers chasing "that" edge.
I do have one razor that was honed well over two years ago though, and it sees use every now and then.
Still super sharp and comfortable, but as to the exact number, I really couldn't tell

I hone a new edge on all of my razors each week, on "bevel-to-finish Sundays". Doesn't matter whether I shaved with them that week or not - everybody starts the next week fresh. I touch them up in between if they start to pull, of course.


(j/k)

I purchased a 7/8 wedge just over three months ago. Honed it as soon as I got it and have used it three times per week since, must be around 40 shaves.
Stropped before each use on plain leather ( have never used a pasted strop ) and no honing since the first one.
Still effortlessly removes the hair and actually feels every bit as sharp as when I first honed it.
I LOVE this razor !

For those who love to hone, I do, too. I feel like I'm divided because I want to challenge the edge to be sharper, and because I have about 10 stones that are just razor finishers.

But I was also curious when a person I know said they use a black arkansas only, horse leather, and only "once in a great while" go back to the strop.

Each time I have felt like the leather was losing its ability to get the razor back, I'd use a little bit more pressure on the strop (not lots, just a little more) and it was like the razor is newly honed again, even after 20 shaves.

It's not even a difference where I'm compromising the edge quality or something, or stubbornly using a razor that's partly dull, it still makes an easy ATG second pass.

It's the leather, I think. I haven't used cow leather in a little while, but I'm wondering if it would do the same thing once it's broken in as much (and absolutely totally smooth). I prefer the horse leather on a hanging strop, though, because it is so much harder on the surface and makes it easier for me to keep from rounding the bevel with the abrasiveness of leather.

Originally Posted by DaveW

I never use a hanging strop with compound on it because I don't like what it does to edge geometry.

Originally Posted by DaveW

I prefer the horse leather on a hanging strop, though, because it is so much harder on the surface and makes it easier for me to keep from rounding the bevel with the abrasiveness of leather.

If you are rounding a bevel that easy, there is something amiss with your stropping... I read the first post and said "huh" but after the second one mentioning the abrasiveness of leather that was the giveaway..

You shouldn't get rounding even with Diamond paste and a hanging strop, it is possible, but not easy, but with plain leather it should never happen... If that is what you are seeing you are either lifting the spine, using to much pressure, or too slack a strop...

What really doesn't make sense is that you have to know how to strop if yer edge is lasting that long

Well, I have the king of edge retention in razors and it's very atypical. My TI Damascus recently had to be touched up. It's the first time I had to do that since I originally got it and honed it about 5 years ago. How many shaves have I had from it? I don't remember I've lost count but around 100 is a safe number.

However on average with most of my razors I like to do a quick touch-up every 20 shaves or so. That's probably average.

With 2 pass shaves every day I get 2 months per honing.