Thread: Under Stropping

I'm still consider myself a newbie to SR shaving but I am still trying to better my shaving and sharpening techniques. A little while back, I was re-watching Lynn's video on honing and finally noticed that when he finished with the hones he said do the usual fifty strokes on the leather strop. Then it sank in, he said FIFTY. I had been doing only ten or twelve strokes before shaving and getting just OK shaves. Next shave, I hit the fifty strokes on my old Illinois 992 and what a difference in closeness and comfort it made. So, two days later, I tried it again with a different razor. Bingo! Close and comfortable with no razor burn after. Just goes to show, one has to pay close attention to all aspects of shaving with SRs.

Stropping is the holey grail!!

Welcome to s.m.o.o.t.h.

It's funny you mentioned this. This morning I went down to shave (and just as an aside, in relation to another thread, I completely shaved off all my facial hair) and was halfway through the first stroke on my cheek when I realised the razor was not shaving very well. Then I realised I had forgotten to strop!

After a quick strop all was well again. Stropping is way important!!

James.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

It's funny you mentioned this. This morning I went down to shave (and just as an aside, in relation to another thread, I completely shaved off all my facial hair) and was halfway through the first stroke on my cheek when I realised the razor was not shaving very well. Then I realised I had forgotten to strop!

After a quick strop all was well again. Stropping is way important!!

James.

--- sorry but I have to digress ---

James you did it! You really did it!!

Welcome to s.m.o.o.t.h.

Yes, stropping is vital...I strop 20x linen 60 leather, before a shave and same after.

Under stropping is easy. Over stropping is impossible :<0)

I always do 100 strokes on English Bridle. I'd do more, but I can't count any higher than that.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

It's funny you mentioned this. This morning I went down to shave (and just as an aside, in relation to another thread, I completely shaved off all my facial hair) and was halfway through the first stroke on my cheek when I realised the razor was not shaving very well. Then I realised I had forgotten to strop!

After a quick strop all was well again. Stropping is way important!!

James.

James, ME TOO!!!

Yup this was THE learning curve for me. I came into straight shaving completely confident in my honing ability and sure enough that did not let me down. But it was the stropping that refines the edge that eluded me a bit. Looking at it under a magnifying lense made for high end optical system (I've no clue what but its great) I noticed as the 12k striations vanished the shave produced progressively less razor burn. Once they were no longer visible I got no more razor burn. Then came the leather,I can't see anything that small even under the glass but what I know is my razors go from a bit of tug to really fine stubble squeegee still with no razor burn. So the 50 pass minimum is warranted.

Yes I'm now one of the Seekers of the Perfect Edge cult.

Originally Posted by Dragonfire

Yup this was THE learning curve for me. I came into straight shaving completely confident in my honing ability and sure enough that did not let me down. But it was the stropping that refines the edge that eluded me a bit. Looking at it under a magnifying lense made for high end optical system (I've no clue what but its great) I noticed as the 12k striations vanished the shave produced progressively less razor burn. Once they were no longer visible I got no more razor burn. Then came the leather,I can't see anything that small even under the glass but what I know is my razors go from a bit of tug to really fine stubble squeegee still with no razor burn. So the 50 pass minimum is warranted.

Yes I'm now one of the Seekers of the Perfect Edge cult.

Agreed.

If anything in my short experience I would share would be that the fundamentals are the most important. Stropping, proper care of the blade, brush, and proper technique in shaving and stropping. In my opinion, this should be the only thing a beginner should focus on for at least 3 months...in regards to stropping, I had to learn the hard way, and go back to basics in stropping after I was told I rolled the edges on several of my blades, and once that happens, your shaves will only be frustrating, and you'll keep going back to wondering why it shaves great for a shave or two when you get it back from being honed, and then it bites the dust again.

Also, investing in a loupe is a good thing to inspect your edges, seeing the actual edge can reveal much.