Thread: Added Linen. Improvement?

I'm with Carl on this one. I also do a 30 linen and 60 leather stropping routine before each and every shave for the simple reason that it is what I was taught to do. Maybe before my next shave I'll skip the linen and see how it goes. It'll be a first for me.

I don't go with the theory of linen warming the steel. It seems to me that any heat would quickly dissipate in the time it takes to switch to leather. And rubbing the leather also warms the blade anyway.

Michael

I do 15-20 on canvas then 60-70 on leather. My shaves are much better since starting this. One thing I've noticed, though, is that my Dovo is very sensitive to the amount of pressure I use, although the others don't seem quite so much. Lighter is better.

I add linen, about 60 passes, when leather alone stops working. I do this maybe once every few weeks. I sometimes use linen if my strop is having trouble "setting" the edge after honing. So usually 60 after the first shave and 60 every three weeks afterward.

One thing I know as "I can see it" something comes off on the linen, that I don't particularly want embedded in my leather, that is a fact in my mind, I have the strops and the pics to prove it (that was for MLA just messing with ya brother)

Now the "Better Shave" argument has been going on for years and honestly I can't tell the difference in the shave myself so that is of no issue to me.

I got in the habit of always using Linen after honing because if there is a weak spot or flaw in the edge that your eyes/tests miss the Linen will find it, basically IMHO if the edge is too fagile for Linen stropping then the edge is too fagile.. (that might be for another thread)

Count me in the 25/50 Linen/Leather before each shave club...


-HOWEVER-

If were using the same razor everyday I could be convinced that there is no time to build up the micro-corrosion on the edge that the Linen seems to remove, just another thought..

I use linen every shave as I feel there's a marked improvement. As Alan pointed out, try increasing your linen count if you feel your edge is starting to taper off a bit - that works very well too.

Originally Posted by mjsorkin

I don't go with the theory of linen warming the steel. It seems to me that any heat would quickly dissipate in the time it takes to switch to leather. And rubbing the leather also warms the blade anyway.

Michael

Yeah, agreed on that.

In regards to Maple's experiment idea, the problem for me when I consider these sorts of ideas (and I do), I always desist as there's a lot of variables. For instance, for years I've written down every set and rep of my workouts. I have quite a number of note books. I time myself exactly 1.5 minutes between each set. My workouts can be better or worse than the last. I never know if it's my mood, the temperature, the food I have for breakfast, lunch or mid afternoon snack, the 1/2 a carton of beer I drank on the weekend, or what. I CAN make some guesses, but I can't REALLY peg it. I think for many doing an experiment may not actually determine exactly what the difference, if any that is perceivable, is.

However, having said that, I may just go right ahead and make a note to join Maple in his experiment and just do my 'standard' 70 on leather tomorrow and dispense with the linen.

This comes at a good time, as I'm going to get a new strop, and considering using my Dovo linen/leather as a pasted strop (on the canvas of course). I was going to give the Dovo to my son, but he's happy stropping on his belt, the damn hippy!

Originally Posted by gssixgun

One thing I know as "I can see it" something comes off on the linen, that I don't particularly want embedded in my leather, that is a fact in my mind, I have the strops and the pics to prove it (that was for MLA just messing with ya brother)

Now the "Better Shave" argument has been going on for years and honestly I can't tell the difference in the shave myself so that is of no issue to me.

I got in the habit of always using Linen after honing because if there is a weak spot or flaw in the edge that your eyes/tests miss the Linen will find it, basically IMHO if the edge is too fagile for Linen stropping then the edge is too fagile.. (that might be for another thread)

Count me in the 25/50 Linen/Leather before each shave club...


-HOWEVER-

If were using the same razor everyday I could be convinced that there is no time to build up the micro-corrosion on the edge that the Linen seems to remove, just another thought..

Sorry to quote this whole thing, but I think for me this makes it much clearer in my mind. I think I might save this to my computer...

Started using linen about a month ago. Mainly to 'clean off' the blade before I go to my good leather strop. Seems to have been positive(?). As a I don't use the same razor everyday it's hard to tell.

Carl,

I agree with you. Whatever you or I do as an "experiment", it's not really going to be very scientific. And the results are going to be entirely subjective.

It's trial and error. Over time by trying new things and isolating variables as much as I can, I do learn things with reasonable certainty.

The main piece of data that I got from this "experiment" was that using linen didn't ruin my edge after one use. The more I use linen, the more I may find out. In the end though, it's just trial and error.

Michael