Thread: Less is More when stropping?

Originally Posted by Leighton

Is there a consensus as to what exactly stropping does yet? Other than removing corrosion that is. Which, I think is pretty well established.

I'm sure most of you have read this article, but I'll include it for anyone that missed it.

WONDER PHOTOS REVEAL UNSUSPECTED FACTS ABOUT Razor Blades and Shaving

Has anyone tried the vaseline trick from page 1 of the article? It would seem that if stropping (a): lines up bent fibers of the edge, and (b): removes micro-corrosion, then theoretically a thin layer of vaseline on the blade, even if you use the razor every day, would considerably cut down on the number of laps needed to get the blade shave ready.

Tod

I like stainless razors.

No vaseline needed.

I also like to strop the bejeebus out of my razors.

Just 'cause I find it enjoyable, and I also don't like bejeebus in my razors, which is why I strop it out of them....

Actually, last night I went for a real quick shave. I hadn't really planned on shaving, but the spirit moved me...so I did a quick face lather, and grabbed a stainless razor out of The Vault. And started a shave. Then I realized I hadn't yet given it a stropping! I gave it a go on the ol' latigo and then proceeded with the shave. The blade felt better. Now why is that? The razor is stainless, and it was stropped after its' last shave. Yet after a fresh stropping it felt smoother, more efficient.

I love stropping...linen, wool, leather...it doesnt matter. Its pure therapy and frankly for me, "personally," im not going to worry a whole lot if it cuts the life of the razor down to 100 years, rather and 200+.
Admittedly, some of these gentlemen, on here, have some very expensive or rare straights on here and i can understand why they limit the honing/stropping. That certainly makes sense.
IMO...which, i admit, is pretty new experience-wise, i would say, just judge your razors individually and decide the amount of stropping ya want to do to them, but minus any pastes it doesn't make much sense, with good technique, that ya can overstrop.

Thanks,
Mac

This has been a great thread so far, with VERY interesting opinions and information, keep 'em coming!

This morning I took my Puma and stropped several RT's on a IRS #361 leather side, then about half a dozen times on the linen side, then again on the leather. I checked the edge with my moistened thumb pad and the edge didn't feel keen enough. Meaning that the edge didn't stick to the pad of my thumb as much as I know it will when it is keen enough to give a good shave. I repeated the stropping process above, adding a bit more downward pressure. Checked with the thumb again and still not quite where I wanted it. Repeated stropping again and this third time the edge had a definite sticky, scary sharp, feel.

I couldn't tell anyone how many strokes or round trips I made because I wasn't counting. I just relied on the feel of the edge against my thumb pad and kept stropping until it felt right. Sometimes less is enough, sometimes more is necessary.

I suppose the only way to know is through lots of experience.

Originally Posted by honedright

This morning I took my Puma and stropped several RT's on a IRS #361 leather side, then about half a dozen times on the linen side, then again on the leather. I checked the edge with my moistened thumb pad and the edge didn't feel keen enough. Meaning that the edge didn't stick to the pad of my thumb as much as I know it will when it is keen enough to give a good shave. I repeated the stropping process above, adding a bit more downward pressure. Checked with the thumb again and still not quite where I wanted it. Repeated stropping again and this third time the edge had a definite sticky, scary sharp, feel.

I couldn't tell anyone how many strokes or round trips I made because I wasn't counting. I just relied on the feel of the edge against my thumb pad and kept stropping until it felt right. Sometimes less is enough, sometimes more is necessary.

I suppose the only way to know is through lots of experience.

RT = Robert Taylor?

Did you begin stropping with enough pressure to feel a draw initially? There are a few ways to look at experience . . . just a thought.

This post here made a big impression on me and influenced my stropping habits. In addition to that post mparker once posted that he had found that with enough laps he could get a dull razor sharp stropping on linen if he did enough laps. I didn't subscribe to that thread so I can't link to it offhand. Seems to me stropping can improve a razor's edge and more may be an improvement over less.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

RT = Robert Taylor?

Did you begin stropping with enough pressure to feel a draw initially? There are a few ways to look at experience . . . just a thought.

Yes, felt draw initially. Not sure if more pressure helped, or was it more laps, or a combo of the two? Not sure. But within a half minute, or so, of stropping, and checking on my thumb, I got the razor how I wanted it. And that sufficed for me. But if I had relied on counting laps, I would have been shooting in the dark. Of course the subsequent shave was the proof of the pudding.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

RT = Robert Taylor?

I read it as round trips

Originally Posted by honedright

I couldn't tell anyone how many strokes or round trips I made because I wasn't counting. I just relied on the feel of the edge against my thumb pad and kept stropping until it felt right. Sometimes less is enough, sometimes more is necessary.

I suppose the only way to know is through lots of experience.

Bingo! No debate there.