Thread: how often to strop w/paste

i thought i already started this thread but i guess not since i cannot find it.

anyways, how often do you strop on a pasted strop?

There's no real rule as to how often, It depends on the razor, how often its used, how well its stropped etc. Basic rule is when you feel your no longer getting a great shave out of it.
Grant

Using a pasted strop isn't a daily thing. When you razor needs a touchup you can either use a pasted strop of a high grit hone. There is no magic number to tell you when to touchup. It depends on your beard, the razor and how you use it.

IME if I want to add a little something to a freshly honed razor I can use a pasted strop, balsa, 4 sided paddle or whatever. Another example being when I am in the first pass of a shave and the razor isn't feeling keen enough I will sometimes go to one of the pasted alternatives before the second pass.... or a barber hone for a touch up.

More often than not I try to get my keenness off of the hones and an unpasted strop alone. That is only because I am trying to improve my skill and test it by not relying on paste. Just a personal thing. Nothing wrong with the judicious use of paste but it can be too much of a good thing if over done.

Guess the question has been answered....in my case, I either strop with paste or hone the razor when my face tells me it is time to do it.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

IME if I want to add a little something to a freshly honed razor I can use a pasted strop, balsa, 4 sided paddle or whatever. Another example being when I am in the first pass of a shave and the razor isn't feeling keen enough I will sometimes go to one of the pasted alternatives before the second pass.... or a barber hone for a touch up.

More often than not I try to get my keenness off of the hones and an unpasted strop alone. That is only because I am trying to improve my skill and test it by not relying on paste. Just a personal thing. Nothing wrong with the judicious use of paste but it can be too much of a good thing if over done.

What he said! I use a pasted strop after I've got the razor honed to a tee and if it ever needs anything after awhile, then I use the barber hone.

thanks for the answers! i was wondering because stropped about 3 shaves ago with a pasted strop and used a regular strop ever since but my last shave was very very bloody! the blade was pulling at my hairs a lot!

If the blade is good, it's either your beard prep or technique. Try a number of smaller strokes at slightly different angles to find the right angle.

Originally Posted by nun2sharp

If the blade is good, it's either your beard prep or technique. Try a number of smaller strokes at slightly different angles to find the right angle.

i used almost the same technique as always and i was surprised to get the bloody results i did. i do remember using slightly longer strokes so this might be my problem! im glad you mentioned using smaller strokes. i shave earlier today and i used the smaller strokes. i also stropped with a pasted strop but im sure both things helped.