Thread: Stropping Before the Shave

I strop just before shaving.

I cannot tell you how many times I have honed a razor, that was popping arm hair all the way up the progression and after the finish stone, nothing. TPT the edge and no doubt it is super sharp.

Strop that puppy on clean plain leather and the same edge is popping all day long.

Now, I am NOT a proponent of hair test, but I suspect what happens is the real edge, the part we cannot see except with 1000+ magnification is that it is slightly bent away, from the skin in this case, from the final honing lap. It probably does not take that much to bend an edge.

Stropping in addition to polishing the edge, straightens it.

Additionally, oxidation is a constant, and begins immediately after honing or stropping. The most pristine edge would be immediately after the bevel was stropped.

I'm a morning shaver and a morning stropper. I oil the blade I shaved with last time with mineral oil for storage - even if it's just until the next day because I'm not sure I'll pick that razor up instead of another one in the rotation. I have no set rotation - just whatever hits me at 5:30 am.

I use shave oil as a prep and a shaving scuttle for lathering up my Proraso shave cream. After I shower, I apply the oil, wash my hands, fillup the shaving scuttle with hot water and set my brush in the water to soak. Then I wipe the oil off the blade I plan to shave with, strop 20 or so on the linen and 50 or so - I don't count anymore - on the leather. This time is long enough for the oil to do it's job, the brush to soak and the scuttle to get nice and warm. Then I replace the hot water in the scuttle with some more hot water, lather and get to it.

My sons, however, strop at night or whenever the urge hits them and their faces are no worse for the wear. They don't even strop everyday - they go 3 or 4 shaves without stropping! Go figure - but they don't shave everyday either.

I agree that oxidation begins immediately so the best edge is going to be a freshly stropped edge. I'm just not sure our faces can tell the difference that 8-10 hours makes in terms of oxidation.

Adam

Originally Posted by MJC

Well....you are in South Africa....can a Zulu Gray be in your future?
May be all you need...

The stones I ordered (Shapton 12k & King 1k/6k) have arrived in the country and currently are held up at Customs. So the wait shouldn't too much longer but yes, a ZG might be in my future.

I asked the question so many times I can't remember how many. I strop 10-15 laps after the shave. I make sure the razor is wiped clean with a tissue both blade and scales. I then strop. Mainly to make sure I have not left any hair or soap on the blade. I asked the strop question of some of the best razor manufacturers and they all said, it has minor results. Most say 5-10 laps is plenty if the blade has a good bevel and has been properly honed. Over stropping can actually round the edge. I also use a Suehiro Gokumyo 20k to refresh. No more then 5 laps. The leather tends to polish the edge so it shaves a little smoother.

I strop 20 on linen and 40 on leather after the shave and 40 on leather just prior to the next shave. That's about the average but not set in stone.

Have not found any degradation of the blade by stropping that much and my edges seem to last a long time. I've read of others that run many more laps and of course many that do quite a few less.

You just need to find what works best for you.

A razor cannot be “over stropped”. Improper stropping, lifting the spine can round (roll), an edge. A razor properly stropped on linen and leather can be maintained indefinitely and has been done for hundreds of years.

A hanging strop can slightly, very slightly convex a bevel, but that is a good thing not a defect.

Stropping is a skill that can take time to Master, you edges and shaves will be better next year as a result, no matter the brand of your razor or cost and grit of your stones.

I'm gonna say something different Iwasaki said, paraphrasing, just like you hone a razor when it's necessary, you strop it when it's necessary. I found that interesting and I tried it. After my shave, I'd wipe the blade with some alcohol on a tissue and leave it until my next shave, normally a few days later. No difference. Then 2 shaves later I notice it pulls a little, so give it 40 laps on leather and it's fine again.

However this was just an experiment, I always strop after the shave to clean it up. The razor's edge will probably last longer if properly stropped after (or before) each shave, meaning less honing will be required in the long run.

Recently I've made a strop similar to the back side of a Kanoyama #3, so kind of like suede leather and I use it exactly for the purpose of cleaning the edge after a shave. It's like stropping on fabric, but finer. I also strop on that now when I get off the hones. I found that in fact, I can shave off of that strop without issues, but OCD demands I immediately strop on slick leather afterwards....or, you know, the Universe will collapse.

In the end, to me personally it's less hassle to strop after the shave, like 20 laps, then fiddle with a tissue and alcohol, trying not to damage the edge in the process of wiping.... But it's possible.

This doesn't relate to a straight razor but I've read about running DE and SE blades over denim to sharpen and prolong the life of the blade. I noticed from time to time Feather Pro blades need about 3-4 shaves to get a really smooth shave. Just for the fun of it I took my feather pro blade in my Mongoose razor and stropped it on the rough leather on my modular strop. I really made the blade less harsh. I then tried it on the smooth leather and it was really good. Now I do it when I first put in a blade and after 6 or 7 shaves to prolong the live for a couple more. It's not the money, just curious to see if there is merit to it. Like straights, the cutting edge should trail. Guess stropping does work.

Originally Posted by Srdjan

In the end, to me personally it's less hassle to strop after the shave, like 20 laps, then fiddle with a tissue and alcohol, trying not to damage the edge in the process of wiping.... But it's possible.

I like to drink the alcohol then strop on the palm of my hand about 20 laps. Look to see if I have any fingers left to stretch the skin with, and start shaving !

Originally Posted by AlienEdge

I like to drink the alcohol then strop on the palm of my hand about 20 laps. Look to see if I have any fingers left to stretch the skin with, and start shaving !

Sounds legit. [emoji1]