Thread: Will anything remove oxidation?

Ok, so I have read that whenever you don't use your razor (for a day, for a week, etc) it develops micro-corrosion or oxidation on the edge, and that one of the things stropping before shaving does is to remove this.
(I'm not stating this as fact, I just seem to hear it a lot)

Will any stropping material remove the oxidation?
Does it take a higher draw strop to achieve this?
I've read that some people notice black on their cotton/linen strops after a while... Is this the effects of oxidation removal?

Say I had only one strop - a very smooth, low draw piece of horsehide. This would be sufficient to use as a strop, yes?


I've already got a strop btw, I was just wondering.

There are three schools of thought on this, in the great Linen /no Linen debate

The always use linen camp.. (myself included) believe that the linen cleans and preps the edge for the leather by removing the micro-corrosion and minor rough spots, before the leather...

The use linen occasionally camp, believe that linen should be used when the leather doesn't do the trick all by itself...

The never use linen camp, believes that the linen is not really necessary at all....

My suggestion is try all three ways and decide for yourself what you like...

Here is a really good thread on the subject. The 4th post down page by mparker762 is where I got my stropping routine from.