Thread: Stropping methods.

After reading here GREAT posts about stropping techniques and methods i decided to try a few and i found one that has GREATLY improved my shaves.
After a few shaves , and i mean very few...like 3 or 4 i would take my blade for a touch up to the coticle...quick 20-30 strop pasess and ready to go....but something was always itching....Lynn and heavyduty have told me that a good honed blade should give you at least 1 to 2 months of good shaves.... having those blade honed by both of them i thought the problem was on the stropping.

Before i will choose one strop and use it exclusive for the whole thing...after reading that it is ok to do variations i decided to try ...and this combination has really bring me a really really sharp good edge.

I will choose a "rough" strop like a illinois or bismarck....they have really thick dark leather ( i think tonny millers would be the latigo) and then a really soft gentle one like the dovo best russian leather xl.
I will do 10 passes on the canvas, 30 on the rough one ( wich i bealieve because of the strong drag has a i am putting the edge straight now kind of thing) and then 30 gentle passes in the soft leather.

This has bring my shaves to a new level, and also has gave another excuse to spend an extra few minutes obsessing about new techniques and props.

I really feel that this progression is aligning and finishing the blade much better than using a single kind of leather...like would be when honing going from the 8k to the coticle....i feel the same here.

After seeing how can a good strop affect the shave....my next project is to stock up in some Tony Miller strops....i will keep you posted after i try them....I have heard so many times they are the best...i can't wait to get a couple....i am right know in "letting the wife settle" mode....getting ready for my next purchase....o lord she loves to scream and talk nonsense....i think talking about the wifes behaviour towards our compulsives buys deserves another thread...anybody up for it?
Thanks everybody for all the info...
ciao
Sergio.

Oh our wives "statements" about our behavier is well documented here (somewhere) But another thread is always fun

Yes I've seen posts from guys who say they can go almost a year without ever having to touchup a razor. They must have the magic touch. I find I get about 10-15 shaves on average before I have to do a quick touch-up. There are exceptions. My Maestro will go about 30 shaves and my TI damascus has racked up about 60 shaves and is going strong as has my Zowada. I don't think the strop is the issue. I have 2 of Tony's best strops and a couple of vintage DDs one a Horsehide twice as thick as Tony's and it makes no difference in the longevity of shaves.

I think the rough and smooth strop business has to do with how well the razor is honed and how well you know how to strop. But it sounds very much like the use of altering the linen/canvas then using leather. If your not doing that then this might be a good alternative. The rougher version aligning better and the smoother, well smoothing.

I just commented on this in another post: http://straightrazorpalace.com/showt...t=14907&page=4

You have found out why they have duel leather or linen/leather combo strops

PuFF

What progression were you using before? Maybe your shaves have been getting better because you are doing more passes on the leather than you were before and the type of leather does not even matter. FWIW I do about 50 passes on the leather (starting with a little pressure and ending with very light pressure), and if I am going to do a multiple pass shave I do 20 more passes on the leather between shaving passes. This makes the XTG and or ATG pass a little better I think. I have a rotation of 14 razors and have not really had to do a touch up on any of these since February; however, I don't get the opportunity to shave with "my" razors much because of all the razors that I hone to sell and hone for others. I am starting to wonder how Lynn is able to keep such a great collection of fine razors, yet he probably does not get to use them much with all the razors that he hones for others.

You know what.....before i didnt nearly do as many passes...also maybe the technique has improved.....i knew this wasnt an exact science...but know i know that you never really know....do you?

Originally Posted by sergiobruna

You know what.....before i didnt nearly do as many passes...also maybe the technique has improved.....i knew this wasnt an exact science...but know i know that you never really know....do you?

You are right, most of the time we don't really know for sure what caused the improvement because there are many variables and we cannot see exactly what is happening to the microscopic edge when we are doing something. A lot of times, all we can do is experiment, think about what is happening, and make the best educated guess that we can. Time will either confirm, or disaffirm our hypothesis. How does that Harley saying go...it's not the destination, it's the journey. I think that this goes very well with straight razor shaving, although the destination is great too lol. I guess that I get a little too philosophical when I am REALLY tired. Time to go to bed.