Thread: Less is More when stropping?

Originally Posted by todot62

I understand that I can experiment and see what works best for me, but that's not the point of the discussion.

I think it is - otherwise you just have what you started with: different strokes for different folks (and equipment, and techniques, and demands, etc)

Originally Posted by todot62

I'm wondering at what point we went from 5-10 strokes to 40+ as the 'standard'

a bunch of people experimented and found that was worked best for them

You bring up something interesting though: a standard
If there is a standard, then you are right that the discussion is regarding something else. But I don't think there really is a standard- is there?

[Edit: do makers today give stropping instructions?]

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

[Edit: do makers today give stropping instructions?]

TI does, I don't remember if Dovo does or not.

Besides the basic directions (x pattern, the flip, etc) they say:

8. Only strop the new razor after several shaves.

9. Only use dry razor stroping compounds (the one we supply is the best that we have found) Avoid gready[sic] pastes which "mess" up your strop or those with low-quality abrasives.

10. Before each shave, soap your face with hot water at the same time plunging your razor into the same hot water. Your shave will be much improved.

Nothing about the number of laps, but then they also recommend using pastes...

I guess the only controversial bit is #8, which really makes no sense at all.

i do less than 20/20, focus too much to count, but maintain a good enough edge for me.

Actually Glen the majority of what we have dug up has been directed at the individual and not the barbers.

While I'm all for doing less, because its more efficient, I can't think of a negative side for doing too much stropping other than it sucks up time.

TI does, I don't remember if Dovo does or not.

Besides the basic directions (x pattern, the flip, etc) they say:

8. Only strop the new razor after several shaves.

9. Only use dry razor stroping compounds (the one we supply is the best that we have found) Avoid gready[sic] pastes which "mess" up your strop or those with low-quality abrasives.

10. Before each shave, soap your face with hot water at the same time plunging your razor into the same hot water. Your shave will be much improved.

Number 8 and 9 together, I would guess, could likely be the crux of our problem. I would surmise that the "compound" placed on a strop would likely be proprietary. Perhaps new strops do not have the same or as abrasive a compound (or likely none at all) placed into the leather.

I use traditional compounds embedded into my strop and I use the traditional instructions.

Check out the sections on stropping:

RazorCentral - Home of the straight razor

And Mike . . . I think if you read it the way I read it they DO NOT use pastes!

I do not recall many people on this forum every discussing or using any "dry compounds" to embed into their strops . . .

I've been following the masses a little bit: Anywhere between 50 and 100 laps. It's more like a ritual than doing anything else.

One of my friends gave me the tip he got from an old barber (why are all these guys always old? ) saying to rinse the razor under warm water to warm it up before stropping, strop and then rinse under cold water before taking the thing to the skin. I'll give that a go a few times. And I'll likely strop less too, just to find a good way of working for me, as shaving's taking up a fair bit of time in the mornings.

I don't count.

I rarely strop on fabric, usually only after honing.

I strop before and after the shave, and I stopped worrying about whether I was doing to much or two little about a week after I started.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

As to never having to hone the razor with proper care, I would love to cry "BS" on that but honestly, I have yet to re-hone one of my personal edges, unless it was damaged in some way..... so for the last 2 1/2 years I would have to agree with it, even though I don't think it is true....

2 1/2 years... not even back to a finishing stone for a touch-up?

- HJ

Maybe it also depends on your facial hair? When I first started, I experimented with a lot of different lap counts, and after a while I noticed that if I surpassed 30 laps on the leather side the shave was always better than if I had done 15 laps for example. Another confusing part of this question is that stropping is something that you learn over time, by doing it over and over again. So experiementing with lap counts early, may not even be a valid experiment, as stropping technique becomes better over time and with muscle memory.