Cumulative Stropping

I've never been one for stropping. Maybe... maybe... a dozen or so strokes before shaving, but really, stropping? Not that my honing is any great-shakes, but I got used to "tugging".

Cut to the present: Returning to straight-razor shaving after a three-year hiatus, I was confronted by adult-onset hand issues, unable to make more than 25-30 passes on my 3" Red Latigo strop. And then נפל האסימון (a "lightbulb" moment): I shave twice-a-week, and almost always select my razor several days ahead of time, so... why not make those 25-30 razor passes on each of three or four days prior to shaving?

In a word, it works... real well. :hmmm: Wonder why I never thought of that, before?

Yes....I keep a current rotation in my bedroom cabinet and as I strop one, I strop them all about 40 laps.
After a week or two, they are all really good. TBH, if I have time and shaved the day before, I still run them all 40!
Doing this, I can grab any one and just shave if in a rush.

Yeah, too much of that will make you go blind LOL!

Even though I have some wrist issues like JB (CTS in my grading hand), I am kind of a compulsive stropper, kind of like Mr. Sell/Jerry used to be. Some of you who have been around the forums for awhile may remember him-may he rest in peace.

Anyway, I will usually give every razor about 25 on linen and 60 on various leathers after a shave, and then again before a shave if I've got one or two in a week's rotation, a little like Tom. So I guess rarely does a razor touch my face that hasn't seen a good 100-120 laps. I really dig stropping in a zenned-out kind of way. Sometimes I'll even strop after each stone in a honing session, especially when I was still really learning each stone and its capabilities. Of I'll do a stropping "progression" on my vintage shells.

Does it make a difference? Maybe a little; no doubt the law of diminishing returns kicks in beyond a certain number. But I enjoy it, and my face does too.

The old barber is turning over in his grave unless you strop just before shaving.

I guess unless you keep the edge well oiled the very edge will begin to accumulate rust on a molecular level very rapidly. Unless you strop enough before shaving you may or may not remove it.

What significance is that? I haven't the foggiest. Does it really matter? Search me.

Har har.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The old barber is turning over in his grave unless you strop just before shaving.

I guess unless you keep the edge well oiled the very edge will begin to accumulate rust on a molecular level very rapidly. Unless you strop enough before shaving you may or may not remove it.

What significance is that? I haven't the foggiest. Does it really matter? Search me.

Har har.

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I’m not going to pretend that I have any idea if the microscopic rust forming on a straight razor aids or hinders either, but I can say with a great deal of confidence that (short of excessive rust obviously) it works nicely on a cutlass to keep it going.

I always thought it was because the rust was flaking off giving me a fresh edge, but who knows. All I know is rust bothers me less than the average bear when it’s on an edge.

This is a really interesting thread because generally, I’m a compulsive stropper. While I have a few razors I hate to strop because of the tang shape or balance, others I strop lot. The heavier the grind the more I strop ‘em...I’m not sure why.

Anyway, I usually strop 20 fabric, 50 leather after a shave, and 20 fabric, 60 to 75 before a shave. I’m not sure what it does for the razor, but it calms me and gives me time to let the lather sit if I’m bowl lathering.

It must not hurt, because I have no major scars :hmmm:

I'm with Harold. I had a Ern Ator Razor
It took a fine edge. And shaved well. It was the awkward for me stropping that was the only negative with the razor. So I gave it to a fellow straight shaver.
Haven't asked him if the tang/blade set up on it is to his liking.
Some of my other razors vary in their designs and angles and sizes of tangs. It all affects how they strop. And as with all things. Preferences vary. My favorite to strop razors may be your least favorite.
I do find myself looking at razors and the "stropability" being a factor in my decision of weather to buy.
My $.02 Ken

I have several strops hanging in my bathroom. I often use them all before shaving. I start with 25 laps on a homemade linen strop to clean the blade; then I move on to 25 laps on a zippy cotton strop from my Griffith Shave shell cordovan strop, then I do 25 laps on my Tony Miller fuzzy linen strop. From there, I do 25 laps on latigo, 25 laps on kangaroo, 25 laps on shell cordovan, and 25 laps on fast bridle. That works out to 175 laps total. It that overkill? Perhaps, but I have a tough beard and sensitive skin, so the extra stropping helps me get a very keen, yet very smooth edge.

Im a stropaholic.
Before a shave i will strop 30 linen and 150 leather. After a shave i strop 30 linen 100 leather. After a honing i will strop 50 linen 200 leather.

Does excessive stropping help, i dought it, can it hurt, yes! If you dont do it right. Remembering that barbers only did a few laps before a shave makes me think they had a better idea on what they were doing than me but i keep stropping and changing up types a leather. I dont think ive ever noticed a difference in the outcome of a blade with different leathers, but why not. JMO. Its part of the fun of SR Shaving.

Dang, 200 leather-I thought I was bad! We compulsive stroppers should start an SA chapter (1st names only, of course!) so we can go to meetings, have sponsors, etc. We can call each other, day or night, if we're about to touch a strop lol!

And by the way, those barbers just doing a few laps may have had several guys waiting for the chair. I would be surprised if many of them, after hours, didn't pull out their fine coti's, thuris, or what have you, and really tweak out some exquisite edges, maybe even stropping more than the perfunctory 6-10 laps. After all, there was probably competition in the trade for who gave the smoothest shave back in the day.

I had a Ern Ator Razor

Probably my favorite all-time razor, hands-down! I've got a couple that they will have to pry from my cold, dead fingers. About 6/8", quarter hollow, shoulder-less, smiling, humpback: the perfect grind and blade for me at least. And yeah, they take a killer edge!
Attachment 293976

I only need about 20 laps on my Levi loom strop to achieve the same results as 30 on linen and about 60 on leather with my hanging strops. I always strop the night before my morning shave to save a little more time to enjoy my shave, as I generally need to rush out the door early. I also seem to enjoy an evening routine of picking out a razor, soap, and brush and stropping before getting ready for bed.

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Originally Posted by Gasman

Im a stropaholic.
Before a shave i will strop 30 linen and 150 leather. After a shave i strop 30 linen 100 leather. After a honing i will strop 50 linen 200 leather.

Does excessive stropping help, i dought it, can it hurt, yes! If you dont do it right. Remembering that barbers only did a few laps before a shave makes me think they had a better idea on what they were doing than me but i keep stropping and changing up types a leather. I dont think ive ever noticed a difference in the outcome of a blade with different leathers, but why not. JMO. Its part of the fun of SR Shaving.

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wow, I do,strop quite a bit myself, but that is really something. ��
But, if it works, then keep at it.
Stropping works, no doubt

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Originally Posted by RayClem

I have several strops hanging in my bathroom. I often use them all before shaving. I start with 25 laps on a homemade linen strop to clean the blade; then I move on to 25 laps on a zippy cotton strop from my Griffith Shave shell cordovan strop, then I do 25 laps on my Tony Miller fuzzy linen strop. From there, I do 25 laps on latigo, 25 laps on kangaroo, 25 laps on shell cordovan, and 25 laps on fast bridle. That works out to 175 laps total. It that overkill? Perhaps, but I have a tough beard and sensitive skin, so the extra stropping helps me get a very keen, yet very smooth edge.

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WOW! That's a lot of stropping!

I see the possibility of a 12-step program...

It would have to be at least 84 steps: 12 on linen, 72 on leather:shrug:

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Originally Posted by bcw

I see the possibility of a 12-step program...

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I don't strop nearly as much as many around here. I don't see a lot of benefit in a lot of repetition. After a shave I give it 20 laps on linen, 20 on leather. And that's just to be sure its clean and dry. 30 to 40 laps on leather before I shave. One strop at a time, no combinations. I haven't seen much benefit from more stropping.

I am a firm believer in progressive stropping, as my good friend Neil Miller (may God rest his soul!) was. Whenever I restore or hone a razor, regardless of grind or hone used, I will strop around 400 laps on around 10-15 different strops from heavy draw, to elegant draw to very slick draw. To me stropping smooths and mellows the edge...and everyone that I have honed or restored a razor for comments on the quality of the shave. Whenever I take a 'not often used' razor out of my "Big Box 'O' Blades" I will strop first on a leaded linen strop for about 25 easy laps and then around 100 laps on 3-4 different strops to 'refresh the edge.


I always recommend to folks that when it seems that a razor is starting to tug, to hit the strops for a couple of hundred laps before going to the hones. JUST my method and MHO...

This makes me an 'Over-Stropper' I guess...But it's what works for me!

Many variables involved, but what I've found works out for me is that the majority of the time, after finishing up a shave, I will strop on 40 laps on linen, followed with 100 on leather. I've tried different variations, but have found that this routinely gives me the best results. After 6-7 shaves, I hone my razor on a fine coticule for a couple dozen laps with water, and strop accordingly. So far, this has been working.

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Originally Posted by Wolfpack34

I always recommend to folks that when it seems that a razor is starting to tug, to hit the strops for a couple of hundred laps before going to the hones. JUST my method and MHO...

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And that's why I titled this thread "Cumulative Stropping": For me, with "hand issues", more than thirty laps at any one time is a non-starter; so, it'll take me some seven sessions to make those "couple of hundred laps" -- a two- or three-day process; hence, "cumulative". If I could do that many in one session, I'd never have made my original post.

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Originally Posted by JBHoren

And that's why I titled this thread "Cumulative Stropping": For me, with "hand issues", more than thirty laps at any one time is a non-starter; so, it'll take me some seven sessions to make those "couple of hundred laps" -- a two- or three-day process; hence, "cumulative". If I could do that many in one session, I'd never have made my original post.

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I get it. I'm retired, and am not required per se to shave every day, and usually shave every other day, and once in a while go three days. Sometimes after shaving, I will stop on linen to clean the blade, then do 20-30 on leather, and the next day make up for the usual stropping I do. I don't think it matters how you get to your magic number.

I used to be a compulsive stropper but now I do maybe 10-15 laps on linen and about 25 on leather for the preshave then 10-15 on linen post shave and thats pretty much it, I tried doing like 50-60 for awhile but in all honesty it really seemed to be no different on the shave.

Yep, if i could stop at 20 or 30 laps i bet there would be no difference. But i just cant help myself. I bet with a minimal stropping after the shave, and two seasions of 7 or 10 laps would be enough to do the job.

It’s all part of the pre-shave ritual for me. 20 strokes on my ScrupleWorks linen, followed by 20 more on my Japanese linen followed by 40 on the ScrupleWorks leather and finish with 50 on the Japanese shell. Then I am mentally prepared to lather up and shave.

I have no idea if the stropping has any impact on the blade, but it sure gets me in the right frame of mind: focused and calm.

I have been taking out my DD Goldedge nearly every day, stropping it a little, and then putting it back. I shave every three days or so. I can confirm that this regular (compulsive) stropping is something the razor seems to love. I am also wondering is leather-fabric-leather is something that works even better than fabric-leather-leather, if that makes sense.

You guys are stropaholics. I'm like 10 strops on pasted canvas and 25 strops on leather after shaving, that's it. I can't imagine 200 times.

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Originally Posted by NittanyGator

You guys are stropaholics. I'm like 10 strops on pasted canvas and 25 strops on leather after shaving, that's it. I can't imagine 200 times.

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While I don't generally strop 200 times, I have to say that this has come from my own experience though. For me, there seems to be no such thing as "stropping too much". I remember once I was stropping one of my favorite razors, and started thinking about various things. I completely forgot how long I had been standing there. When I shaved it was as if the blade was purring and the whiskers came off like there was no resistance at all.

I have an elbow issue at the moment. I’ve tried the cumulative stropping, maybe 30 laps a day, and two sessions on shave day. I shave every other day. 20-30 on leather pre shave, 5-10 on poly 20-30 post. I notice no difference in quality of shave if I do a “normal” stropping routine, 90-100 pre, 5-10/20 post,as opposed to cumulative.

Really to each his own, if stropping 200 times works for you or makes a meditative routine that's great. One of the things that makes this hobby fun is we all create our own little systems.

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Originally Posted by thebigspendur

The old barber is turning over in his grave unless you strop just before shaving.

I guess unless you keep the edge well oiled the very edge will begin to accumulate rust on a molecular level very rapidly. Unless you strop enough before shaving you may or may not remove it.

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Had thought about that too.

As I get up at 4:50 am, time is of the essence and while I am keen on the shave I am not quite so keen on stropping at this early hour.

I suspect your old barber turning in his grave didn’t start work at 4:50 am either. ;)

Occasionally I strop for a week in advance, or at least for the next day, and to avoid any corrosion I use a Ballistol applicator for the edge. At the most, I give the blade then 12 laps prior to the shave, sometimes none at all.

Truth be told, I am not even convinced that any noticeable corrosion would form within 24 hrs, but who knows?
It is not important enough for me to reach for a microscope.
To me straight shaving shouldn’t be made into a science and if our granddads got by without a microscope, so can I.



B.

10 laps on paste is like 100 on leather.

I am reminded of the Chrome Oxide experiment of daily stropping and shaving with the same razor for a year and what happened…after about a week, nothing but great shaves.

You can definitely do a strop progression, on just fabric, linen and leathers. Different leathers will produce a different polished edge. Heck just cleaning your leather strop will produce a different (Better?) edge.

It’s all about the stropping. On paste or plain leather, it is the last polish of the edge, before it touches your face. How much it needs depends on the condition of the edge, the strop, your technique and your preference.

The trick is your technique.