How Important Strop is?

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11-25-2009, 06:00 PM
hi_bud_gl

How Important Strop is?

I was thinking a lot before i start this thread.
This is what i think and rest of you please let it known your opinions.Welcome.

In my opinion "shave ready " Blade's edge is so thin by using hard strop's, too many laps on the strop (over 50-100 so on with speed) Uneven surface(has cuts etc) will damage the blade.
example if you do a lot laps on the strop with fast motion i think
You can great so much heat which will change the temper of the edge(because of so fine ,thin metal) as a result that edge will not last longer.
This is Why i do recommend when you buy strop Please pay attention to buy quality strop's.
(of course you can buy zeepk's strop for learning purposes)
Or if you buy vintage ones please make sure surface is flat ,smooth etc.
GL
11-25-2009, 09:55 PM
v76

I don't think you can "overstrop" if all mechanical variables stay equal during
the stropping (ie. same stroke everytime on same kind of undamaged surface).

50 to 100 laps on linen or leather won't produce enough heat to change the tempering of a razor's edge, as thin as it is. Temperatures for tempering steel are between 300F to 1200F, in the lower or higher ranges.

I think it's just very easy to not strop correctly and that's not due to the quality of the strop. I think if your strop (and technique) is smooth with no cuts, nicks, abrasive contamination, etc... you should get good results.
11-25-2009, 11:16 PM
Cutthroat_trout

Why resist hundreds of years of history and experience ? ;)
11-25-2009, 11:24 PM
hi_bud_gl

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cutthroat_trout

Why resist hundreds of years of history and experience ? ;)

this is just opinion not resistance?
11-25-2009, 11:47 PM
mackie

Benjamin Franklin once said, "The older I get the less inclined I am to trust my own judgement". That being said, I think the hot water in your fawcet that you rinse your razor in ,will be hotter than you could ever get the strop. Mack
11-26-2009, 12:03 AM
matt321

Quote:

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

this is just opinion not resistance?

It sounds like you may have observed this happening to an edge, so you are forming a hypothesis to explain what you observed. Am I getting this right?
11-26-2009, 01:25 AM
hi_bud_gl

I think Edge is very thin that is why user can great enough heat while stropping and that heat will change temper of the edge. Of course effect of it will not know right away but after couple of weeks.
To test this someone has to have same blade sharpened with same person in similar sharpness
strop first blade 100 times before every shave
Next one only 30 times
and see which edge will last longer.
11-26-2009, 01:34 AM
mackie

I volunteer ! I have two Boker razors almost identical that I will work with for a month. Then I will let you know. Mack
11-26-2009, 01:48 AM
niftyshaving
Quote:

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

I think Edge is very thin that is why user can great enough heat while stropping and that heat will change temper of the edge. Of course effect of it will not know right away but after couple of weeks.
To test this someone has to have same blade sharpened with same person in similar sharpness
strop first blade 100 times before every shave
Next one only 30 times
and see which edge will last longer.

Testing makes sense.
Assigning an underlying cause may not make sense.

If I was going to speculate -- there are two primary things going on
with a basic strop.
- reshaping the edge (pulling it straight)
- work hardening the edge
As thin as the edge is and based on comments about the
importance of "pull" on a strop reshaping is important.
And explains to me why a retouch with a strop just works.

Work hardening is harder to make a case for but once the
edge is pulled straight the minor flexing associated with
a continued light stropping will work harden the thin edge.
I also know that work hardening is a big effect in terms
of hardness up to a point. This work hardening effect will
max out. If the strop is overdone and the touch is not light
enough the thinner than a hair edge will fail.
11-26-2009, 01:49 AM
sffone

Quote:

Originally Posted by mackie

I volunteer ! I have two Boker razors almost identical that I will work with for a month. Then I will let you know. Mack

It will be very interesting to see how this turns out. I would think that if you've got a decent strop and technique, that it would be virtually impossible to harm a razor's edge by stropping because of the strop's lack of significant abrasion. True, there is microscopic abrasion, but it seems to me that would only increase the blade's sharpness up to the point beyond which it could get no sharper. Admittedly, you might round off the blade's bevel which would create problems with honing, but the blade would still be extremely sharp when coming off the strop. But, I freely admit that I don't know what I'm talking about!:D
11-26-2009, 04:02 AM
JMS

I am a little confused. I strop fairly quickly and I use some pressure when stropping. I strop on linen about 20 to 50 passes then on leather about 50 to 100 passes (usually my IRSC# 361) and my edges last a loooonnng time. I stopped keeping track of how long after more than 100 shaves. that was a while back.
11-26-2009, 04:34 AM
onimaru55

That's just cuz you're so delicate Mark :p :D

Seriously tho, I have the same experience. I think excess pressure & poor quality surface is the biggest killer of edges.
11-26-2009, 04:41 AM
JMS

Quote:

Originally Posted by onimaru55

That's just cuz you're so delicate Mark :p :D

I raise my pinkie when I shave you know?:D
11-26-2009, 04:46 AM
JMS

Quote:

Originally Posted by onimaru55

That's just cuz you're so delicate Mark :p :D

Seriously tho, I have the same experience. I think excess pressure & poor quality surface is the biggest killer of edges.

I think losing an edge comes down to poor stropping not heat. I suppose an uneven surface can cause problems to a newbie but a seasoned straight shaver could quickly compensate for that. one could strop on just about any smooth surface successfully and can do fine on rougher strops such as the IRSC#827 with a little experience so I am still unsure of what the OP's point or meaning is
11-26-2009, 06:05 AM
gugi

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMS

I raise my pinkie when I shave you know?:D

:roflmao:roflmao:roflmao:roflmao:roflmao:roflmao
11-26-2009, 06:20 AM
gary haywood

I started counting how many shaves i could get out of my razors i normaly do 50/50 after honing then 15 /25 before each shave, it amazed me how long the edge keeps going and actualy i find the shaves get better not worse my pumas on its 50 yh shave and still as good as it gets.

as for stropping i don't see the poit of doing loads of laps i think you should do more work on your hone i no hone meister that do only 30 laps on leather as for speed i just go at a speed that suits me not to slow not to fast.
11-26-2009, 10:11 PM
onimaru55

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMS

I think losing an edge comes down to poor stropping not heat. I suppose an uneven surface can cause problems to a newbie but a seasoned straight shaver could quickly compensate for that. one could strop on just about any smooth surface successfully and can do fine on rougher strops such as the IRSC#827 with a little experience so I am still unsure of what the OP's point or meaning is

Yup, it's mostly all in the touch & the raised pinkie :p
11-26-2009, 10:25 PM
IanS

Poor stropping or damaged strop? Yes.

Heat? No.

The speed at which a human would have to rub a razor against a strop with the pressure we use in order to heat the blade significantly is not humanly possible. Even if you used an extremely high speed rotary machine, I'd expect the leather would smoke long before the steel's integrity was compromised.
11-27-2009, 01:37 AM
JMS

Quote:

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Yup, it's mostly all in the touch & the raised pinkie :p

For balance you understand.
11-27-2009, 05:04 AM
onimaru55

I'm sure :rofl2: