To strop or not to strop. That is the question.

I think that most of us would agree that stropping is something that we can't live without. This morning I re-honed my new Red-point 917 and finished it on my 15k+ welsh slate mystery hone. After 40 passes with no pressure and just water, I wanted to see what it could do to hair. I grabbed a strand of my wife's hair, which is extremely fine, and went to work. The blade was passing the HHT in a few spots along the blade. SO I started stropping. I did 100 passes on my vintage pigskin strop and was amazed with the difference! The blade is now passing the HHT throughout the length of the blade. A few times the edge bit the hair and actually split the wife's fine hair!

In conclusion, stropping is a must, for me anyways. I've seen people mention shaving right off their finishers but after today I'm clearly sold on it. I think my stropping technique has improved greatly over the month I've been shaving with a straight razor as well and perhaps that has something to do with the final edge on my razor!

:rock:

Proper stropping does produce a different edge, but the argument can also be made that that edge is not completely necessary to actually get a good shave. The hanging hair test is not shaving so it really is pretty irrelevant to the suitability of the razor to actually shave comfortably. If the razor shaves and doesn't pull and tug and cause irritation is by far a better measure.

Take DE blades one of the sharpest is probably Feathers, those blades cause a ton of irritation on my face and I've heard the same from others.

That said, I do strop 20-40 times maybe and get a good shave, I do think there are lots of factors and skin and beard type are probably just as big a factor.

I don't do HHT at all. As a general rule my first shave was off an 8000 Naniwa now replaced with a 12000 Naniwa finished on a pasted balsa strop. If that shaves well then the next time the blade gets 60 passes on the leather strop before shaving. There generally is an improvement after using the strop.

Did my DD Special yesterday and got a very nice shave directly off the finishing pasted strop. Today, after stropping on leather, the shave was smoother yet. So yea I do believe that stropping adds to getting the best edge you can get. In that sense it is a must for me too but only after the first shave on a freshly honed blade.

Bob

I had recently started a thread about this. Stropping is obviously needed. Once i was sharpening a knife, it wasn't grabbing the hair on my arm just skipping over it, then i kinda "stropped" my knife on a scrap piece of leather which brought the blade around to taking hair off. I just found it interesting that leather could bring a blade like a knife around that much.

http://straightrazorpalace.com/shavi...stropping.html

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Originally Posted by Hutch

If the razor shaves and doesn't pull and tug and cause irritation is by far a better measure.

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Isn't this essentially the same as the HHT? Instead of hanging from your finger tips, the hair is "hanging" from your face. The "trick" is to learn what it should feel like when the razor cuts the hair while hanging from the fingers to know how it will feel on the face. Even better to couple this with the so called "thumb pad test" and then you will never have to "test shave" again.

Stropping is a MUST for me as well.

Although I have been meaning to shave directly off of my Naniwa 12k, perhaps tomorrow....

I'm not even going to go into the HHT thing....:deadhorse:.....It's been discussed enough lately.

I think this happened already, but tomorrow I'm refreshing a blade on my 12k and just shaving with it....who's with me!???? <crickets>


Ok, I'll let you know how it goes!:rofl2:

I didn't realise that people felt that not stropping was even an option..... ?? Perhaps we need to work harder on that basic message?

James.

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Originally Posted by Jimbo

I didn't realise that people felt that not stropping was even an option..... ?? Perhaps we need to work harder on that basic message?.

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I don't know, this is the first link on the website, and says:

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The following items are considered the basic equipment. Basic means that without either of these items, your shave will most likely be sub-optimal or even painful.

• 1 or 2 straight razors. Do make sure to read our list of straight razor brands to avoid, lest you invest in a razor that will never shave.
• A strop (most people use hanging but paddle or loom will also work); the canvas/linen side is optional, but very highly recommended.

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:shrug:

Don't get me wrong. I'm debating the requirement to use one, just trying to get a feel for the
improvement that it gives a freshly honed blade.

The only way I can think of is a before and after comparison with my face....:dropjaw:


It's going to have to wait until Monday though, I forgot that I did a 3 pass this morning. I'm not shaving tomorrow at all.

I have really wanted to try shaving with an unstropped razor, but I am so addicted to the great shaves I've been getting with my stropped razors that I keep forgetting to do it. Plus I really enjoy laying 100 laps on a razor that shaved great in the morning. Maybe I'll try it tomorrow, but maybe not.

The only reason I was fooling around with the HHT is that I wanted to see the before and after effect on the blade and had already shaved! Being impatient this was the only way. What I can say is that it definitely made a difference.

I also happened to shave with my red-point 917 that I was mentioning and nicked myself a few times with it.

I like playing around with the HHT as you describe. A single strand if hair used several times during the refinement process can provide some interesting insight.

Most would agree that a shave is THE meaningful data point, but I still maintain HHT has some utility.

Well, to satisfy my own interests I too my Dovo Bismarck that I FINALLY got a really nice edge on and re-honed it just like I was finishing a honing progression. I did 25 LIGHT x-strokes on a Naniwa 12k using just enough water to moisten the stone. No pastes, no strop.

I'll shave it tomorrow morning and report back....I don't expect it to be very good, but I sure hope that it comes back to as good an edge as it was... :medvl:

If you're wondering why I'd kill an edge that I finally just got tweaked up nicely....Why not! That's how I learn. I hone way more often than I have to, and I'm constantly re-honing my blades in an effort to get a slight improvement over my last honing job. I'm a touch obsessive...


I'll report the terrible results tomorrow after...but I'm not already biased, promise.:hmmm:

Gentlemen, A day without Stropping is like a..... You know, a day without stropping!(:-)

Can't wait to see your face matt :)

I've shaved right off the hones. My feeling is that a stropped blade is more comfortable to shave with than an unstropped blade.

Michael

I'm actually a little surprised by the results.

I just did my cheek, but could have easily finished my whole face without stropping the blade.
It still plowed through the whiskers like a hot knife. I did strop it after ding my cheek, just to make it as good as it could be.

I must say though, the 12k edge alone was fairly acceptable.

Occasionally, I will touch up my blade on my Swaty mid-shave without taking it to the strop again. I presume this would not count as "honing without stropping"?

From my experence from shaving stright from a Coticule, stropping doesn't add sharpness really only smoothness. Stropping has never made my blade able to cut better just feel better.

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Originally Posted by 111Nathaniel

From my experence from shaving stright from a Coticule, stropping doesn't add sharpness really only smoothness. Stropping has never made my blade able to cut better just feel better.

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Well said Nathaniel.

stropping is a must for me to just to smooth the edge

forgot to say i only do 20 passes

I've seen magnified pictures of blades before and after shaving. The edge looks like a serrated knife, or teeth. Shaving causes them to bend. Stropping re aligns them. Stropping is also non evasive as far as honing goes. Nice soft leather each day, vs a stone....? Of course you can shave off a stone without stropping.

I've touched up a blade on a Swaty or Escher mid shave, I've even stropped mid shave. You'd be surprised how much difference proper stropping can make.

Stropping is pretty much essential. It's not an option imho.

Well done. I dont need to strop, but why shouldn't I ? The answer is if I am a poor stropper! I'm actually pretty decent at it, but my point is that you have proven that you can improve an edge. That's important! Some people don't improve an edge; do they question themselves? NO, they don't! They question the honing or the sharpness test, or whatever. And there is nothing wrong with being bad at stropping, just try and work around the problem until you get better. Strop lighter, and strop less! But as the edge becomes harsh, or dull, start working it more; but do it sloooooooowly. Then as you get better, you'll see better results. When all your efforts at stropping fail, hone. Do it with the same care you stropped, slowly, and search for and use some method to identify improvement. It's really hard and REALLY subtle, with either tool. Also, don't forget, it's the quality of the shave over the apparent sharpness.

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Originally Posted by mapleleafalumnus

Occasionally, I will touch up my blade on my Swaty mid-shave without taking it to the strop again. I presume this would not count as "honing without stropping"?

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I would disagree, but it's up to you to define it. To me, if more people accepted that a Swaty WAS honing, and that a 4k was friggen edge terrorism, we'd have a lot more successful beginners.

To strop. That is the answer.

Do you mean "To strop" is the answer, or do you mean "That" is the answer?

James.

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Originally Posted by Jimbo

Do you mean "To strop" is the answer, or do you mean "That" is the answer?

James.

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"That" is entirely a different question!

"That" is what I thought.

James.

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Originally Posted by ironsidegnr

I'm actually a little surprised by the results.

I just did my cheek, but could have easily finished my whole face without stropping the blade.
It still plowed through the whiskers like a hot knife. I did strop it after ding my cheek, just to make it as good as it could be.

I must say though, the 12k edge alone was fairly acceptable.

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Tonight, I did a full shave with a freshly honed razor (12k Naniwa finisher). I did three passes and I must say, I was quite surprised. The shave was fantastic! There was a hint of sting when I applied my after shave balm, but not excessive.

I am not sure I would say that one should NOT strop, but I might try this again next time I hone to gauge the quality of my honing...at very least it is an additional data point;)

Unit, from what I understand this is the the case most of the time. To feel what the stone alone has done to the blade and see if there are any improvements in technique or if there is a difference between one of your finishers?

I have a very fine 'dry' Barber Hone that I've been using to finish. I some times use it after a pass if I feel that the razor could be a little sharper. Hone then shave. It seems to work.