Stropping Strategy

I think I've discovered that I'm using a stropping strategy before my shaves. Do any of you guys do the same?

1) I strop lightly with an ultra flat strop first and see what effect (testing via TPT or shaving) that has, then . . .

2) I use a little deflection to shape the edge inward if it had problems from Step 1 and reevaluate.

3) I return to light/flat stropping, and reevaluate.

4) If that doesn't produce a good edge or tested via TPT as an optimum edge I add pressure and taught stropping, and re-evaluate

5) If that doesn't work I return to the hone; its almost like a last step to go to the hone.

Am I getting obstiinate? Am becoming anti-hone?

Do you guys have a stropping strategy that you use consistenly step by step to achieve a shaving edge?

I used to just grab another blade.

Interesting... If I get the wrong feeling draw (does that make sense?) for a given razor in my stable, I do mess with the pressure on the strop until I get the draw I expect for a shave ready edge.

If I still get "bad" draw, I do go back to the hones before shaving again.

I don't get as involved as you do...yet... but I definitely see where you are coming from.

Yes, very interesting. Somehow I thought when all was said and done this stropping stuff would be pretty thoughtless.

I thought so too, until I started varying my pressure when stropping after honing and noticed a significant difference in shave quality.

Gawd, another facet to the shaving conundrum.:o

I have been doing 50 linen and 50 leather then trying the HHT. Usually passes. If it does not I see if it will pop hair on my leg. If it doesn't do that then I go back to the hone.

Reading this barber manual chapter on stropping and honing I have been using my thumb as a pivot and keeping my wrist as stiff as possible with light pressure on the strop. Not no pressure but light.

I haven't tried deflection to correct any perceived problems yet. I am not sure I understand how that would improve the edge ? Wouldn't there be a risk of rolling the edge ?

The fore mentioned barber manual says that when coming off the hone go straight to the leather. Only use the linen first when stropping for maintenance in between honings. I haven't been doing that but have been going to the linen first anyhow. Any thoughts on whether going to the leather only following honing would be better ?

How often do you get to 4?

What is an ultra flat strop?

how many times, out of 10 let's say do you end at the hone?

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I have been doing 50 linen and 50 leather then trying the HHT. Usually passes. If it does not I see if it will pop hair on my leg. If it doesn't do that then I go back to the hone.

Reading this barber manual chapter on stropping and honing I have been using my thumb as a pivot and keeping my wrist as stiff as possible with light pressure on the strop. Not no pressure but light.

I haven't tried deflection to correct any perceived problems yet. I am not sure I understand how that would improve the edge ? Wouldn't there be a risk of rolling the edge ?

The fore mentioned barber manual says that when coming off the hone go straight to the leather. Only use the linen first when stropping for maintenance in between honings. I haven't been doing that but have been going to the linen first anyhow. Any thoughts on whether going to the leather only following honing would be better ?

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In my book, a little linen action can smooth the edge a bit, but not too much. I finish with a Nakayama, and don't notice much difference in shave quality when finishing on linen or linen->leather.

The idea of more sag in the strop to correct problems seems a little scary to me. Maybe if you would use weight of the razor only? I dunno..

I do like more pressure on a tighter strop to "work in" a recalcitrant edge though, I get pretty good results with that.

I do something very similar to what AFDavis11 posted but with much less empirical steps. I just kind of adjust it here or there to see if the edge comes back; if not, I move it to the "to hone" pile, and get another razor from the collection.

I do 15 to 20 on linen and 30 to 40 on leather. If it pulls, I go to the diamond spray. If it does not work, I switch razors and deal with the problem later ;-)

Al raz.

I was in this feeling once. I started toe-first instead of heel-first stropping. There is a marked difference in draw doing this. For me there has been improvement in shave quality since I alternate toe-first/ heel-first stropping always now. Do be careful doing this! There is a chance of strop nicking at starting stoke. My IXL really loves this change. Whatever stropping you do, Just Strop MORE! It worked well for me. Robert

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

The fore mentioned barber manual says that when coming off the hone go straight to the leather. Only use the linen first when stropping for maintenance in between honings. I haven't been doing that but have been going to the linen first anyhow. Any thoughts on whether going to the leather only following honing would be better ?

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Most sources I read, consider stropping as needed to realign the very edge. (let's call it the "fin":D) According to those sources, ideally the fin is fully restored by the strop. But often small parts of the fin were knocked to far out by the shave, and the razor may loose them during stropping. If they get stuck into the surface of the leather, they can cause scratches and damage. The linen's structure has more depth and steel particles are safely embedded below the surface.
Immediately after a honing job, there's no risk for loosing parts of the fin, so there's no reason for the linen.
I believe this represents the traditional vision on stropping. I don't know if it is completely valid, but I have seen pictures posted on SRP of "inexplicable" scratches caused by a leather strop.

Bart.

Thanks Bart. That makes sense.

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Originally Posted by AFDavis11

I think I've discovered that I'm using a stropping strategy before my shaves. Do any of you guys do the same?
...
Do you guys have a stropping strategy that you use consistenly step by step to achieve a shaving edge?

I used to just grab another blade.

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Now that you mention it, yes. I do something very similar.

Lately I seem to enjoy stropping ≈ as much as honing. <--(not an ironic statement, I really do enjoy both more than before)

I go straight to leather after honing. Fifty laps or so.

Ten to fifteen laps on leather after the shave.

Twenty to thirty laps on linen, Thirty to forty laps on leather before the shave.

One WTG pass and one XTG pass gets my tough beard BBS and the shave lasts a long time if the edge is 'right'.

I use the same 'tautness' all the time. Greatly reduces the number of times that I have to take one back to the hone.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kevint

How often do you get to 4?

What is an ultra flat strop?

how many times, out of 10 let's say do you end at the hone?

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I find that the first series of stroppings for any razor have a high probability of going to Step 3 and 4. Its similar I think to stropping and "shaping" the edge, as mentioned in the barbers manuals.

After the first series its usually pretty mundane. I'd say, again after the first few series, I only go to pressure 3 times out of 10.

I describe the hand hold for an "ultra flat strop" in another thread but essentially I pull the strop very taut and tight. Something I don't always focus on. I often strop with just a strop with no sag.

I end up back at the hone only one time in 20. I used to go to the hone immediately and I used to get only so-so shaves for the first 2-3 shaves off the hone.

Now I feel like I can work the blade a little better on the strop and need the hone far less.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AFDavis11

I find that the first series of stroppings for any razor have a high probability of going to Step 3 and 4. Its similar I think to stropping and "shaping" the edge, as mentioned in the barbers manuals.

After the first series its usually pretty mundane. I'd say, again after the first few series, I only go to pressure 3 times out of 10.

I describe the hand hold for an "ultra flat strop" in another thread but essentially I pull the strop very taut and tight. Something I don't always focus on. I often strop with just a strop with no sag.

I end up back at the hone only one time in 20. I used to go to the hone immediately and I used to get only so-so shaves for the first 2-3 shaves off the hone.

Now I feel like I can work the blade a little better on the strop and need the hone far less.

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Sounds like you found out what the strop is for :D

PuFF

In theory maybe, in practice I'm still working on it. :p