Thread: 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!

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

Originally Posted by Hutch

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

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.........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!

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.

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?.

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

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.

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....


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.