Thread: 3 steps in maintaining a razor edge???

I've been straight shaving for almost one year as well as maintaining my own razor edges. From reading and watching videos I've seen 3 different things to do to maintain the edge.

1. Stropping using a leather strop between shaves.
2. Refurbish the edge using a linen strop with chromium oxide then a leather strop.
3. Honing the edge using stones.

All stropping was done using a hanging strop in videos.

My primary concern right now is continuing to use flat strops or getting a hanging strop with linen and leather and learning to use that.

So far what I've been using to maintain my razors has been my knife tools. Shapton glass stones in 4k, 8k, 16k grits and normally two leather strops mounted on glass and/or wood. They are treated with .5 CBN on a leather strop and .1 micron CBN on a kangaroo strop. I have intended to get a good quality hanging strop. I did get a cheap one which is just one piece of leather. I'm sure it does a good job within it's limitations (no linen strop for example) but I haven't gotten the hang of using it. All I've managed to do so far is ruin every edge I use the strop on. That's why I ended up using my flat strops. However, most people seem to use the hanging strops and as a newbe I doubt I'll figure out some better method so I think it's time I invest in a good quality hanging strop and get the hang of it. Before I do that however I'd like to know if my understanding of maintaining the edge is accurate. I'll explain what I'm thinking and would appreciate any info on if I'm right or wrong. If wrong, how am I wrong? Any help is appreciated.

Honing on stones will create two flat bevels that meet at the apex. Stropping will smooth and refine the edge. Using a hanging strop the strop will always have a very slight concave shape which will create a slightly convex shape on the razor edge apex. I'm thinking about extremely small amounts of steel removed with each stropping. Each time you strop you will be very slightly creating a slightly more convex bevel on the edge. The benefit of this is that every stropping will have a more dramatic effect on the edge apex than if using a flat strop. A flat strop will be applying the same amount of pressure on the entire bevel which will result in less steel being removed per stroke. That statement is based on knife sharpening thinking. I try to keep any knowledge on knife sharpening out of the razor honing/maintaining because the technique is so much different. However some of the edge basics are the same it seems.

So using a hanging (flexible) strop puts the shave ready edge back on the edge more rapidly than using a flat strop. Using a hanging strop will also convex the edge bevel faster. After a while (many shaves) the edge will need a more serious touch-up than stropping with the leather strop.

Refurbishing the edge has been explained as using a linen strop treated with .5 micron chromium oxide paste then the leather strop. The linen strop will remove more steel than the leather strop and flatten the bevel some. This will mean the edge will be easy to touch-up using the leather strop again between shaves. This refurbishing can be done a few times but sooner or later a complete honing using stones will be needed bring the edge back to the starting point of a razor's edge.

Then you start over using stones creating new flat bevels with stones.

Does my understanding make sense and is it accurate? I want to know as much as I can before investing $75 or more on a hanging strop. It seems that is a good estimate on the cost of the better or best quality and performing strops for complete maintenance. I have wondered if getting one strop which has one leather and one linen strop combined necessary? Maybe they come seperate as two different strops but I don't remember seeing them sold this way. They seem to come attached at the "hook" end of the strop.

Any help and info is appreciated.

Jack

This is the video by Lynn Abrams I basically keep on file to review anytime I'm going to refresh an edge using my Naniwa 12k. After the Nani 12k, I then do another 20 laps on my small Escher, or until I feel the edge is the way I like it. He covers all methods in this video.

I do use a crox pasted strop as well, but when I'm not getting the results anymore, I hit the Nani 12k. I'm slowly practicing on learning honing with a couple of GD's.

Anyway, this is my go-to video for using my Nani 12k:

In my experience, I have been doing this for around 5 years, so take from me what you wish.

A leather only strop is perfectly adequate.
Before spending so much on a strop, look at a number of things. Which strop do you currently have, and what is your stropping technique like? Is it possible that you are being too heavy handed with your stropping? Only the weight of the razor should rest on your strop, no more.

It is unclear to me. Is your daily strop treated with any sort of sharpening compound? If so I would invest in a strop that has no form of sharpening compound, as this may well be causing your razor edge to deteriorate if used daily.

The bare strop should not remove steel (to my understanding) it is there to realign the edge which is damaged at a small scale on every shave. Additionally, your strop should be kept as taught as possible, however as you say there will always be a slight bend, however if only the rzors weight is used, I would not imagine this causing any concaving on the razors edge.

Onto honing, I have only ever had to reset a bevel in extreme cases with a razor I have honed by myself, in most cases the edge can be refreshed on the finer grit stones I own with very little steel removed.

I only ever use a treated strop after my honing, and even then only if I remember.

Geek

Watched Lynn's video again. I think I have the tools right now to do the job. What I need more than anything is practice. The flat strop with .5 micron CBN can take the place of a chromium oxide linen strop for now. Then the cheap hanging strop I can use. I just need to learn to use it without damaging the edge. Again, just practice. I have the 16k and 8k Shapton glass stones for a brief few strokes like Lynn suggests instead of his Naniwa 12k (I don't have one). And then it's a matter of finding a routine that works.

I'm just now starting to get shaves that are significantly better than 6 months ago. This is probably normal. In life I haven't just jumped into anything and have some sort of "born with" talent. I also seem to over-think a lot of things. A new strop is on my Christmas list consideration so I have some time to think about it.

I have a small package of .3 micron Chromium Oxide powder that came with a kit I got a few months ago. I think the directions said to mix it with a small amount of oil and apply it to leather or balsa. Does that sound right?

Thanks for the help.

Jack

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This link shows what I use for my hanging setup, but you can use paddles or whatever works it's really just preference, I used a paddle starting out it was just easier for me. As far as your edge goes, it sounds like you are rolling, or causing the very edge resting on the strop to turn up. Never use the same pressure stropping as you do honing. The spine lays flat then set the edge onto the strop and glide the razor across, you should never apply downward pressure. The strop should be held taut enough to have some give if you push lightly on the center, but never go concave that rolls an edge in a heartbeat.

Learning to strop is key to maintenance. Don’t worry about convexing the edge. Yes there may be some convexing of the bevel, but it is a good thing.

The slight Convexing will never prevent the edge from shaving, because you are polishing the whole bevel equally, not just the edge.

Rolling the edge is from lifting the spine or too much downward pressure, common with a paddle strop or with a pasted strop. A pasted strop is an abrasive strop and just one mis-stroke can wipe an edge.

Learn stropping technique, the stropping muscle memory on a nylon strop and once comfortable go to a good leather strop. You can buy a good strop for well under 40 dollars. An expensive strop will not give you better edge until you improve your technique.

Finding a local mentor will increase your learning curve with some hands-on coaching.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Learning to strop is key to maintenance. Don’t worry about convexing the edge. Yes there may be some convexing of the bevel, but it is a good thing.

The slight Convexing will never prevent the edge from shaving, because you are polishing the whole bevel equally, not just the edge.

Rolling the edge is from lifting the spine or too much downward pressure, common with a paddle strop or with a pasted strop. A pasted strop is an abrasive strop and just one mis-stroke can wipe an edge.

Learn stropping technique, the stropping muscle memory on a nylon strop and once comfortable go to a good leather strop. You can buy a good strop for well under 40 dollars. An expensive strop will not give you better edge until you improve your technique.

Finding a local mentor will increase your learning curve with some hands-on coaching.

Your statement that I highlighted red is what I need to focus on. I'll get a nice strop in time but without the technique it won't help.

Jack

I seem to recall several years ago before this honing madness took control users of pasted strops were in one camp and users of stones were in another. It was kind of an either/or type of thing. Using a pasted strop was considered the lazy man's answer to maintaining an edge while the classic way was with a stone which in those days was either a typical synthetic like the Norton or a barbers Hone or if you liked naturals the coticule or escher or a handful of others were used. Using a pasted strop would lead to degrading the edge over time eventually needing a hone anyway.

Back in the day most folks had a single finishing hone and they used that to maintain the edge.

Now things have gotten complicated with all kinds of media and mixing and matching different materials and techniques. So the real question is are the razors any sharper now than they were 15 years ago or maybe even 60 years ago. Personally, I don't think so.

So what do you need to maintain your good condition razor? The answer is a leather strop and a finishing hone. A linen strop would be nice too.

Of course if you do restorations and need to do repair or become a stone collector or a victim of honeitis or just caught up in the hysteria the sky becomes the limit in the effort to get that final .0001% extra out of the razor.

In my book the important thing is to get one general purpose hone and become a master with it and extract all you can out of it before you start to expand.

As my friend Mr Confucius say: Man highly skilled with single hone be honemaster, man lowly skilled with plethora of hones be jack of all hones and master of none.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I seem to recall several years ago before this honing madness took control users of pasted strops were in one camp and users of stones were in another. It was kind of an either/or type of thing. Using a pasted strop was considered the lazy man's answer to maintaining an edge while the classic way was with a stone which in those days was either a typical synthetic like the Norton or a barbers Hone or if you liked naturals the coticule or escher or a handful of others were used. Using a pasted strop would lead to degrading the edge over time eventually needing a hone anyway.

Back in the day most folks had a single finishing hone and they used that to maintain the edge.

Now things have gotten complicated with all kinds of media and mixing and matching different materials and techniques. So the real question is are the razors any sharper now than they were 15 years ago or maybe even 60 years ago. Personally, I don't think so.

So what do you need to maintain your good condition razor? The answer is a leather strop and a finishing hone. A linen strop would be nice too.

Of course if you do restorations and need to do repair or become a stone collector or a victim of honeitis or just caught up in the hysteria the sky becomes the limit in the effort to get that final .0001% extra out of the razor.

In my book the important thing is to get one general purpose hone and become a master with it and extract all you can out of it before you start to expand.

As my friend Mr Confucius say: Man highly skilled with single hone be honemaster, man lowly skilled with plethora of hones be jack of all hones and master of none.

I personally have fallen into this camp. For the most I use a bbw and a strop for maintenance.

Geek

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I seem to recall several years ago before this honing madness took control users of pasted strops were in one camp and users of stones were in another. It was kind of an either/or type of thing. Using a pasted strop was considered the lazy man's answer to maintaining an edge while the classic way was with a stone which in those days was either a typical synthetic like the Norton or a barbers Hone or if you liked naturals the coticule or escher or a handful of others were used. Using a pasted strop would lead to degrading the edge over time eventually needing a hone anyway.

Back in the day most folks had a single finishing hone and they used that to maintain the edge.

Now things have gotten complicated with all kinds of media and mixing and matching different materials and techniques. So the real question is are the razors any sharper now than they were 15 years ago or maybe even 60 years ago. Personally, I don't think so.

So what do you need to maintain your good condition razor? The answer is a leather strop and a finishing hone. A linen strop would be nice too.

Of course if you do restorations and need to do repair or become a stone collector or a victim of honeitis or just caught up in the hysteria the sky becomes the limit in the effort to get that final .0001% extra out of the razor.

In my book the important thing is to get one general purpose hone and become a master with it and extract all you can out of it before you start to expand.

As my friend Mr Confucius say: Man highly skilled with single hone be honemaster, man lowly skilled with plethora of hones be jack of all hones and master of none.

I even have the name for it. I love to buy toys so when I get into something new it gets to be fun to shop and buy. Of course I end up with more stuff over time than I know what to do with. The only benefit is after trying things you do get to pick what works best for you. Look at Lynn's video. He went throug several ways using various stones and strops to do basically the same thing. What I have now is a set of Shapton glass stones, couple of flat strops and one "poor man's" strop. For a skilled honer that would be plenty of tools. But for the beginner who doesn't know what works best for him he (me) would need to buy the other stuff to try a bunch of stuff for comparison. The only thing I have now that I bought just for razors is the poor man's strop. Anyway, I'll be continuing to use (practice) using this stuff for now.

Jack