Strops better than hones, TOP 10

Why I think learning to use a strop is more important than learning to use a hone:

10. You can get a dull razor to shave with good stropping, but you can't hone a razor smooth enough to be able to shave

9. You never hear anybody say "I over stropped again"

8. You can always put paste on a strop

7. You can send your razor out to be honed, but you can't send it out to be stropped

6. You don't have to soak a strop in order for it to work

5. You can't tie a hone up in the bathroom

4. You can't snap a hone and make the kids clean their room.

3. You can't get a cat to chase a dangling hone into a wall, but a strop does the job really well.

2. You can't dry your back with a hone, but the linen side of a strop finally has a use now.

1. A strop in the bedroom makes you look like a frisky stud, a hone in the bedroom makes you look like a woodworker.

Also, you can't slice a hone in two when learning to hone a razor...

;)

AF, you should have t shirts made up lol!

10. Just because you can't doesn't mean Lynn can't
9. Oh yes I have ... ME
8. Not a hanging one unless you want to round the bevel
7. True
6. Or a barber hone
5. And you can't put a strop in your pocket.
4. But you can hurl it something fierce.
3. YOUR STROP IS NOT A CAT TOY!!!
2. yuck
1. Also true.

X

Quote:

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Originally Posted by xman

10. Just because you can't doesn't mean Lynn can't
9. Oh yes I have ... ME
8. Not a hanging one unless you want to round the bevel
7. True
6. Water stones you do.
5. And you can't put a strop in your pocket.
4. But you can hurl it something fierce.
3. YOUR STROP IS NOT A CAT TOY!!!
2. yuck
1. Also true.

X

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LOL HAHA! :D

Alan,

Take a close look at #6...may want to throw in an edit. Regardless, this is funny stuff!

RT

Thanx Randy...I thought there was a reason my strops weren't working

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Thanx Randy...I thought there was a reason my strops weren't working

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Alan,

I must have read that 20 times before I caught it...nicely done!

Will you be touring all of the usual comedy clubs, or just certain one?

RT

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rtaylor61

Alan,

I must have read that 20 times before I caught it...nicely done!

Will you be touring all of the usual comedy clubs, or just certain one?

RT

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What DID it say? I didnt catch an error before the edit.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JLStorm

What DID it say? I didnt catch an error before the edit.

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It said you don't have to soak a hone before use. It now says strop.

RT

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rtaylor61

It said you don't have to soak a hone before use. It now says strop.

RT

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lol...I never caught that either. That would make for one soggy strop....

6. Or a barber hone

This strop vs. hone thread reminds me of a clip from Billy Madison.


'Shampoo is better. I go on first and clean the hair. Conditioner is better. I leave the hair silky and smooth.
Oh, really, fool?
Really.
[Notices gold swan on edge of tub]
Stop looking at me, swan.'

-Fred

If you can strop dull razor to shave, at what point do you need to decide a razor needs to be sent for honing? (stupid question maybe)
And before the point of needing to reset the bevel?

Doublewood, if your into paste, maybe a long time. From watching Euclids440 post he gets a lot of mileage from high grit nano thingys, but this much I do know, if you keep the blade sharp instead of letting it degrade, you can go a long time without even seeing the bevel setter. Either a maintainence routine(paste or finish hone) like nod, every 10 or so shaves I do 4-5 laps on a 12k naniwa just to keep it at that level,, I,m sure there are better guys than me that can explain it, but maintain instead of having to refresh. Tc

So years ago when I was taught to maintain a razor, by my barber who I bought my razor, strop and a small finish stone from, (he ordered it all new for me), he instructed to maintain the edge on just a leather and linen strop, occasionally a Translucent Ark to remove small chips or rolled edge.

I did just that for many, many years. I had other stones for woodworking and started collecting, restoring about 10 years later with those stone, long before SRP.

You can still find hundred year plus razors with little or no hone wear, which I suspect they maintained the same way.

Of the 60 or so razors I have in “Rotation”, the vast majority will never be bevel set again, by me. They may see a high grit stone, but there is no need for a 1k bevel set, or go much beyond a 12k stone.

Yes with paste, especially modern Nano grit pastes and sprays one can keep a razor shaving very keenly and smoothly indefinitely, even with just .50 Chrome Oxide on a leather strop, a very nice edge is possible. The trick is learning to strop properly.

Another thing that is not talked about a lot is a strop progression. I collect and restore old vintage strops and not all leathers and strops are alike. With experimentation one can develop a leather strop progression and the same with linen and other substrates. The differences are very subtle but there is a difference.

As with any edge tools, maintenance is always easier and less damaging than restoration.

Euclid - It would be interesting to hear more about your strip progression.

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Originally Posted by Euclid440

I collect and restore old vintage strops and not all leathers and strops are alike.

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Euclid, if you have the time, and the inclination, could you start a separate thread with tips on restoring old strops ? This thread being so old the info would get buried here.

I've got about a dozen vintage pro barber strops, horse or shell, various brands. They are all in good shape and I haven't done more than wash the linen, and palm rub the leather.

I bought some Fromm strop dressing that I read good stuff about on Amazon, but I haven't put it on any of them yet. Have you ever used Fromm dressing, and if so, what do you think about it ?

#10 made made me chuckle, then I thought, hey what's wrong with that. Lol. Good list

Jimmy, depending on how dried out a strop is use the Fromm dressing very lightly. I just restored a shell cordavan 1930's Jager strop that had been hanging in a barn for at least 40 years. It was in great shape except it was REAL DRY!. I used Fromm Dressing & Mink oil I would use one then wait a few days & then the other. I have an old glass rolling pin I would roll the strap with on the off days. Did this for about a month. Sanded a couple of small dings & a month later had a great strop. I just use oils from my hand on it now.For me, if it is a new strop I would just rub it good before you use it.

Slawman

Quote:

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Originally Posted by tcrideshd

Doublewood, if your into paste, maybe a long time. From watching Euclids440 post he gets a lot of mileage from high grit nano thingys, but this much I do know, if you keep the blade sharp instead of letting it degrade, you can go a long time without even seeing the bevel setter. Either a maintainence routine(paste or finish hone) like nod, every 10 or so shaves I do 4-5 laps on a 12k naniwa just to keep it at that level,, I,m sure there are better guys than me that can explain it, but maintain instead of having to refresh. Tc

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Randydance said to me " if you set the bevel right you should never have to do it again." I heard Utopian say "Like a foundation". Some time later in the day Randydance told me that a shaveready razor is just that and has no need to be stropped. Now I could be wrong or mis heard. But I have lived by those words for 2 years now. I hone to that place. When a razor doesnt I drop back one or two hones and build it back. I have a lonely strop.

TC explained it best. Maintenance before you tear the house down.

Good idea, would make a good post to get information in one place, there is a lot of good information here on SRP.

I have never use the Fromm dressing, but really most dressing contain similar oils that will work.

I use a combination of sources, the first was posted by Mike, (Wolfpack34) or Neil Miller, probably both I think, from an old barbers manual, and a post from Kevin, (Hides to Art) in an old Razor & Stone post (Leather 101 here,) make sure to go Page 6 for all the information and answers to questions. I could not find the original post from Mike & Neil.

Kevin does not recommend specific oil, just a good oil/conditioner or the recommendation of your local saddle maker. The trick is to go slowly, it took years, many years to wick the moisture from the leather, it will take time to get it deep back into the leather.

Use a small amount of oil on damp leather, water will swell the fibers and allow the oil to get deep into the leather. I like Ballistol or plain old Neat’s-foot oil, in a fine spray mister. Mist a lite coat on a damp strop (wiped with a warm water damp sponge) and wait for it to absorb (2-3 fine spritz) then work gently into the leather, then hang and wait a few days. Keep adding and working the leather until you get the result you want. On a very dry strop I will work both sides, then work the face side sparingly in subsequent applications.

For an old dried out leather strop, it can easily take months, adding very small amounts at a time, less than a ¼ teaspoon of oil or dressing at a time. Once you get moisture in the leather, then and only then start to work the leather with a roller. I use a rolling pin with a plastic roller, gently push the oil deep into the leather and flex the leather a little at a time. All this takes place after a good cleaning or better multiple cleanings with saddle soap.

Kevin recommends adding moisture, plain water to your strop often, so I wipe my strops with a damp microfiber on both sides to clean and add moisture.

I also started thinking about a strop progression years ago, after a conversation about this with Wolfpack34 who also has a vintage collection that he uses.

The trick, if there is one, is to go slow, and work the leather damp, ok 2 tricks. Dampen, let it absorb 15-20 minutes then add the oil.

I do have some photos of some strop in the process, I will try to put together a photo tutorial.