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  1. #21
    Senior Member Joe Lerch's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by honedright
    Now, all that being said, I can't find any reference in my "Standard Textbook of Barbering", or the Moler Barbers Manual, regarding the resting of a straight razor. I'll conclude that if resting the razor were really an important issue, it would have been covered in the professional texts. The texts DO mention stropping during the shave. They DON'T mention anything about stropping after the shave, but if it's ok during, then why not after.
    That's exactly the reason I went looking for other information. They only mention stropping before and during the shave. Not stropping after is consistent with the resting theory.

    Dovo is a pretty good source for this kind of information, since they are the largest manufacturer. As I said before, they tell you to let the razor rest. So, after some experimenting, that's what I do.

    But we need to focus this whole discussion. It's almost like trying to figure out the number of angels that will fit on the head of a pin. There are plenty of razors on Ebay that are 150 years old, and they may even have oxidized edges. We've seen them. A little hone work gets you down to clean material, and you're back in business for another 150 years. On the issue of wasting razor material, I've seen more material wasted by poor honing than any other way. How about all those tapered toes and ground down spines?

    So, isn't it all academic?

    Use either approach and you're right. By the time that razor wears out, guys may no longer be shaving. Just enjoy the razor and the shaving experience.

  2. #22
    Still hasn't shut up PuFFaH's Avatar
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    DOVO faq puts it like this;

    "DOVO straight razors are whetted in the factory for use (whetting on leather by hand). If you own a suitable strop, you should nevertheless take into account that the razor must first "rest" after use. After the razor has been carefully rinsed and dried, it should not be used again for at least 24 - 48 hours because the fine "fin" on the cutting edge straightens up again extremely slowly. If the razor is stropped too soon (or stropped incorrectly by moving it backwards and forwards without turning it over), the "fin" which is necessary for a close shave breaks off. Between six and fifteen shaves are possible without stropping in between."

    6-15 shaves out of an razor without extra stropping? and then to imply that someone would move the razor back and forth withould turning it over, well, words escape me

    I quote another sentence from DOVOs faq;

    "There is no generally valid rule for the whetting (stropping) of straight razors; in many cases, it is sufficient to draw the razor lightly over the ball of the thumb, especially when it has been left unused for several days between shaves."

    Now can someone explain that to me


    I would like to see more evidence than this to change my practices. I never oil my razors even when they will be left for up to a year sometimes. I have yet to find a rusted razor or one that has lost it's edge from my before&after routine stropping.
    It seems to me that if the edge is that weakened by shaving, then proper stropping would remedy this. In 25 years of SR shaving, I have yet to be let down by this technique. I highlight that to show that it is one method amoungst many systems devised for stropping.

    "Can ther be only one"

    PuFF

  3. #23
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    Arthur Boon also says you don't need to strop every time if you let your razors rest:

    "STROPPING, GENERAL When you shave, the cutting edge gets somewhat misaligned microscopically. It looks like microserrations, bending aside irregularly. If you put the knife away, the cutting edge stretches ('grows') spontaneously within 24 hours. After 3 or 4 shaves it should be aligned a little bit again and therefore you must strop."

    Has anyone here experimented with this method? Clearly some old-timers did it this way, and it's not just some sort of confusion at Dovo...

  4. #24
    Super Shaver xman's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by PuFFaH
    DOVO faq puts it like this;

    "DOVO straight razors are whetted in the factory for use (whetting on leather by hand). If you own a suitable strop, you should nevertheless take into account that the razor must first "rest" after use. After the razor has been carefully rinsed and dried, it should not be used again for at least 24 - 48 hours because the fine "fin" on the cutting edge straightens up again extremely slowly. If the razor is stropped too soon (or stropped incorrectly by moving it backwards and forwards without turning it over), the "fin" which is necessary for a close shave breaks off. Between six and fifteen shaves are possible without stropping in between."

    6-15 shaves out of an razor without extra stropping? and then to imply that someone would move the razor back and forth withould turning it over, well, words escape me
    Reading that kinda throws into question the whole idea of stropping after the shave. Heck stropping at all. I'd say this was wrotten by somebody who doesn't know what they're talking about and should ALL be discounted. Either that or we're all pretty ignorant. Why do barbers keep strops around at all? Special occasions?

    X

  5. #25
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    It does sound like fantasy. But Boon knows what he's talking about right?

  6. #26
    Super Shaver xman's Avatar
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    Yeah, Boon should be a pretty trusted source, but he doesn't say anything crazy. Perhaps something for discussion, but that's all.

    X

  7. #27
    Member AFDavis11's Avatar
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    I think an experiment is brewing. I think I'll let a few blades rest for 48 hours and see how it goes. Shouldn't be difficult for all of us to try it. No stropping. The edge I'll evaluate will be a carbon steel razor.

    The razors I will rotate will be my Henkels carbon steel on its 10th shave, a Dovo Inox stainless on its 6th shave and my new Renaissance on its 2nd shave (which isn't wicked sharp yet, but is shaving).

    Whatcha guys think? No stropping for a while? Two weeks maybe?

  8. #28
    Face nicker RichZ's Avatar
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    Why bother, after all we are talking about stropping a razor not rebuilding your car's engine. It takes under 5 minutes so who cares... I never use the same razor two days in a row and I strop before each shave, works for me.

  9. #29
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    I'm into this experiment.

  10. #30
    Loudmouth FiReSTaRT's Avatar
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    I'm with Rich on this one.

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