Thread: Stropping the day before a shave

I have read from one of the reliable instruction sources on the internet (dont rember which one), that you should not stropp when you shave. That the steel changes molecularly slowly and you should strop no sooner than 24 hours before using the razor. I know a little something about steel and this makes very good sence.

That being said, I take it with a grain of salt. I stropp a bunch of razors on sunday, I stropp sometimes the night before and I stropp just before and during my shave. I have had equally good results with all methods.

I say do as you think will fit your schedule and your pleasure.

Just remember that the razor is tool with only one job, shaving. The barber's manual recomends for the barber to strop before and after the shave, and between the passes. This results in more comfort for the patron. I have also heard about razor's edge "growing" back, fins realigning after 24 hours, but it doesen't make sense to me. Metal either brakes when bendt, or returns back the same moment.

Nenad

Thanks for the clarity, Nenad. superfly ... keepin' it real.

X

Originally Posted by cudahogs

I do both. I try to strop with linen then leather right before I shave. There are days that the stropping noises are too loud so I have to do some stropping at night and a leather only stropping right before the shave ( the leather stropping is at a different pitch that doesn't seem to penatrate back to the bedroom). For some reason the wife is woken up by the linen stropping, but not by the Homer Simpson noises of "MMMMMMMMMM, Aftershave".
-Fred

I'm guessing the strop I have is a pretty poor one as I long for the day when I here that charateristic noise ( maybe I should play Lynns video loud in the morning until I get a decent strop ) .. I'm also up at 04:40am for work so I tend to strop at night and then a few passes in the morning after I've preped my face .. At the moment Im using Razorantium ( see DR_Phongs threads about this stuff )

Garry,
I wouldn't be too concerned about the stropping noise not being there. I have some razors that make no noise at all on the leather surface. All of them make noise on the linen surface, but some are louder than others. I've only been at this for 4 months, so I'm not an expert.
BTW-I have a Dovo strop and Tony's Hierloom #1 strop. I believe they were about the same price, but Tony's is a much better strop. The Dovo is thinner than corrogated cardboard.
-Fred

I think once I get paid my next purchase is going to be one of Tony's strops .. The Dovo strops here in the uk are very very expensive and every thread i've read regarding strops sing the praises of Tony's no#1's ...
It's reassuring to know that you don't always here that lovely sound from the strop. I'm going to re adddress my stropping technique as I also think it may be slighty incorrect .
thanks Garry

The sound a razor makes on the strop has more to do with the type of grind on the razor than on the type of strop.

Full hollow ground razors will make a much different sound as the thin edge vibrates while stropping. Heavy wedges are almost silent on the leather.

Tony

Originally Posted by EdinLA44

it would cut my shaving time dramatically.

doesn't that negate the whole nirvana experience of a wet str8t shave? .

have you tried shaving the night before just before bed? After I got used to shaving with the str8t I've found that when my schedule gets hectic, I just switch the shave from morning to evening if I can't properly enjoy it in the a.m.

I do a triple strop. strop pre shave, strop prior to 2nd pass, and strop on finish I strop 40 rounds on linen then 60 on leather. It doesn't take too long. Should I be stropping more rounds?