Thread: Less is More when stropping?

Originally Posted by HungeJ0e

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

- HJ

I think it bears mentioning here that Glen shaves a lot less surface area than most guys. He tends to wear at least the shadow of a normal beard and I would have to estimate he ends up shaving a little less than half his face and not the usual densest areas at that. Add in the number of razors in his rotation (what's the rotation up to glen? 14-21??) and you could go a long time between honing. To wit, if we are removing micro corrosion from the edge, a drier clime might lead to less as might having a bit more metal on the edge (ala taped honing jobs). The point is there are tons of factors in every aspect of this hobby and as Glen often so rightly points out, this necessitates.......wait for it.......

Experimentation.

Originally Posted by sicboater

I think it bears mentioning here that Glen shaves a lot less surface area than most guys. He tends to wear at least the shadow of a normal beard and I would have to estimate he ends up shaving a little less than half his face and not the usual densest areas at that

Hehe BUT !!!! wait for it..... I also use the worst angles and technique there is, which is way harder on the razor.... I am not sure if you were watching when I actually shaved at the meet up but my WTG angles because of shaving around the beard are terrible....

Haven't you ever noticed that you very, very, rarely see posts or advice from me in the Shaving forum????

The other thing is I truly believe the the longer you go between using a razor, would increase the need for stropping, as the edge would have more time to collect the Micro-corrosion that is the real edge killer....

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Hehe BUT !!!! wait for it..... I also use the worst angles and technique there is, which is way harder on the razor....

Do I sense some pride in this statement?

Originally Posted by Hillie

Do I sense some pride in this statement?

Possibly there is a slight bit.....

Because of how and why I have used a straight razor for all these years, only one thing really matters to me, the razor always has to be at it's sharpest possible level....

This could very well be why I get so obsessed with keeping them at their absolute tops...

I have read in abject horror when people say that a razor can be too sharp, personally I can't see how this could ever be possible....

I have read when people say they concentrate on technique to work around not having a wicked sharp edge, I can't fathom that....

This is also why I can't understand why 10-20 seconds more on the strop to do the extra 20-30 laps to make sure the razor is at it's peak performance level could ever even be a question....

When I shave I want to barely touch my face with the edge, I want a feather light touch so that I have no irritation, I want to do a minimum number of passes so I have no irritation... I want to have to barely touch the lines of my beard and watch the errant hair just pop, so that the lines are as neat and straight as possible...

This is what I want and why I use a straight razor, and have used one since 1981.... How I get that, is to have the absolutely most wicked sharp edges I can possibly have in my hand, stropped to their most keen point, using the best lather and prep I can produce.....

When most of you get done shaving you stroke your face and feel for a nice smooth expanse of skin, me, I feel for the smooth of the cheeks, and then a sharp defined edge of my beard, that sharp edge is to me a perfect shave....