Thread: Duration of a stropped edge

You have a belt? Before I got my leather strop all I had was a belt and a horse tack "Latigo". I sit and step on oned end of the belt with my right foot, bring the belt over my knee/thigh and hold the other end of the belt in my left hand, making the belt tight. I stropped that way for years on knives. For touching up I don't see why that wouldn't work in a pinch.

I have a shaving kit that I take on trips and inside I wrap a 2 1/2 inch strop around the parameter of the kit. I have recently been using one of the felt pads from Straight Razor Designs and coated it with 0.125 Cubic Boron Nitrate. 20 laps every 5 days is keeping two of my razors going for over 3 weeks now. I strop but I would think that if one were to just give it about 5 laps before shaving it would be all you need. It is a lot smoother than using diamond paste. If you are satisfied with Chromium Dioxide you could use that on the felt. It does not take up a lot of space.


Take Care,
Richard

You can 'rest' a stropped blade forever -- no loss of sharpness. But I'd be really worried about corrosion (I assume you're in salt water). High-carbon steel rusts easily, and a freshly-honed edge is really vulnerable.

Maybe oiling the blades would be enough to keep the rust away.

If I were in your situation, I'd either carry a strop, or take up DE shaving with stainless-steel blades.

Charles

PS -- The Poor MAn's Strop at www.whippeddog.com is adequate, and rolls up fairly small. It's a good travel strop, IMHO.

Thanks for all the responses. How long you can "rest" an edge is what I was particularly going for. I was thinking of stropping and oiling a few razors and using each one once, but it does seem like a good idea to make some sort of travel strop.

While it depends on what type of boat you're on and where, for the most part I am on tugs that are in and out of rivers and coastwise applications. The interior of the cabin are, for the most part, pretty dang nice. I've been on tugs that were nicer than my apartment. New boats usually have all the amenities - internet, flat screen tvs, independent air circulation and really good food. I eat better out on the water than at home! It's all part of the deal since they want you to keep coming back. No matter how you slice it up, being gone 6 months out of the year kinda sucks. Hopefully I'll be going back to my old company out of Philly, but I'm also looking at New York and an assist company out of Louisiana.

DEs are boring to shave with compared to straights. While still boring, single edge razors are "funner" than DE's by a long shot, and give a similar auditory sensation, as well as a better shave IMO. So if you do go to a safety razor, try a Gem 1912/14 instead of a DE.

My advice is to take two or three razors with you, strop after every shave and coat the blades with TUFF-GLIDE or mineral oil. Rumor is that Navy Seals use TUFF-GLIDE on their guns and knives to keep them corrosion free, however, I would opt for the oil coating.

P.S.
You can strop on newspaper wrapped around a hardcover book if you have to.

Sounds like a good science experiment in the making. By the time you get back you should be able to author an extensive research paper. "The corrosive effects of marine air on the shave ready blade" would be a good title I think. You should apply for a research grant from SRP.

Sacrilege I know but I'd take a shavette

Originally Posted by Jeltz

Sacrilege I know but I'd take a shavette

OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!

Originally Posted by MaritimeFanatic

No matter how you slice it up, being gone 6 months out of the year kinda sucks.

i feel you on that. i usually deploy for six months at a time, but if im going to be gone for six months i would much rather spend it on the water than in the desert, so im jealous.

when i do deploy i take a couple straight razors and just a hanging strop along with my DE just in case i dont have time for the straight

-dan-