Thread: Stropping after Honing

After a fresh honing, mine go to a linen strop pasted with lead....yes lead, I'll say it, Rez.
I'll do somewhere around 100 passes on that strop, then move to a Russian tanned for another 100. From this point I'll progress thru 2 or 3 strops ranging from heavy to light draw, finishing on a shell or Roo strop, at 50-60 passes each. Then its just 40-60 on leather, before and after a shave

So you say you do a wee bit of stropping, Mike?

After Hone
50 on a Kanayama fire hose
40 on linen or suede
100 on leather

After shaving
50 on linen or suede
200 to 300 on leather depending on the strop

After shaving but the edge not meeting expectations
50 on Kanayama fire hose
40 on linen or suede
200 to 300 on leather

If edge is still lacking then 30 on CrOx followed by
40 on Kanayama fire hose
40 on linen or suede

200 or 300 on leather

Right after my last stone I do 20 super light laps on a paddle stop using .5 CrOx and then 10 laps with .25 diamond and then 50 on plain linen and 50 on leather.

My days of doing hundreds of laps are long gone, I figure if the edge is not there after 50 or so laps on linen and leather it was never there to begin with but that’s just me

I usually just strop for about a minute or two on regular leather after honing (again before shaving). I do use the Kanayama Suede ( usually just a few strokes) before leather after my shaves though

After honing I go lightly on the linen for 20-30 laps. Then progress thru 3 types of leather at 80 to 100 each.

Before a shave its 12-15 on linen and 80-100 leather. After a shave, its 12-15 linen and 30-50 leather just to clean and dry things up a bit.

I vary it depending on what I have done or what razor it is.
Post hone: usually cotton for 20 then heavy draw suede side leather for 20 then light draw coat side leather for 50
Pre shave w/ honed razor: 20 suede side, 40 smooth side then go to linen 20 then cotton 20, then suede 20, smooth 40 if it tugs or isn't smooth.
Post shave: heavy draw suede 20

...or something resembling those normally. Possibly pasted sail cloth to refresh if it seems like linen, cotton and/or leather won't do it.

My usual post honing routine is 20 Kanoyama canvas, 35 Kanoyama suede, followed by 65 Kanoyama cordovan, using a 3-piece Kanoyama strop of course.

I use jnats almost exclusively, and always felt that flax linen sets a fresh jnat edge back a little, linen is abrasive. The canvas seems to smooth the edge feel a little, some jnats can impart a very keen edge. I do like flax linen instead of canvas after honing with a coticule.

After shaving, the routine is usually 35 suede/65 cordovan. If I’m doing an edge longevity test, flax linen every 5-7 shaves will help after 35 shaves or so.

After honing synthetic finisher 30 laps on CrOX pasted basle, five linen, 40 English Bridle leather. Natural finisher 5 linen, 40 English Bridle leather

Before a shave 5 on linen and 30 on Roo leather.

After a shave, its 20 linen and 40 leather just to clean and dry things up a bit.

Touch up synthetic finisher 30 laps on CrOX pasted basle, five linen, 40 English Bridle leather. Natural finisher laps on stone 5 linen, 40 English Bridle leather

I go to linen the leather it depends on how I feel as to which strops I use but lately I have been doing nylon then linen followed by Latigo the Roo I have no idea if I am getting better results or not but I am happy doing it that way.

Both are SRD strops