Thread: Stropping after shower

I used to strop after my shower, right before I shaved, but now I like to strop before I shower b/c it takes me some time and I don't want my face to dry out between my shower and shave. As per Lynn's tip, I started rubbing my horsehide strop with my palm many times in order to warm it up and give it some extra draw. Today after I shaved I gave my razor a few laps on the strop just to keep it dry and all, and I noticed the strop had *far* less draw than it normally does.

So I started thinking, with all the hot steam produced during my shower in this small bathroom, I bet the strop gets pretty moisturized as a result, maybe making it a bit slicker. Has anyone else noticed this?

It seems like many people, during their stropping, like to go from high-draw surfaces to low-draw surfaces (like starting with a linen and ending with a low-draw 'finishing strop'), as they find it gives a better, sharper edge. I bet if one were to strop before a shower (high-draw), and then some after the shower before they shave (low-draw due to moisturizing steam), it would have a similar effect of putting a nice finishing touch on to the edge. I'll give it a try when i get home after Thanksgiving.

I don't think the actual draw has anything to do with the amount of sharpnesss imparted to the razor. The linen is slightly abrasive so depending on how many strokes you give it you are actually doing some minor honing. As far as the leather goes some leathers have more draw than others and it may be that moisture affects the amount of draw you are experiencing but don't necessarily associate the draw with an edge getting sharper or more highly polished.

Personally I don't keep my strop in a humid environment (ie- the bathroom during a shower) and I don't see how that would be good for a strop at all. A constant cycle of humidity and drying out just can't be good for leather, and I won't take that chance with my Tony Miller Artisan.

If anyone has had GOOD results from the above scenario please let me know.

I agree w/ Ryan. When I was younger I used to keep my strop on hook next to the toilet by the shower and with the constant moisture / humidity changers the leather became really gnarly. Hard spots began to develop in some areas while others seemed oily. Needless to say I've never made that mistake again.

I used to store my strop on the inside of the bathroom door. However, a short time after I started doing this I noticed that my strop started cupping--the outside edges were higher than in the middle. I re-flattened it by leaving it under some heavy books for a few days and started storing it on the outside of the bathroom door and have not had a problem with it cupping since.

My bathroom sink area is one section then there is a door that can shut between that and were the toilet and shower are. I'm not sure how much steam gets into the other area but i was wondering do you think that it would effect the strop being that close or am i safe>?