Thread: Stropping is King

I for one totally agree Honedright, but, shame the nick doesnt match the philosophy
I could count the times I have had to hone a razor on my fingers in the past 25 years. Consistant well practiced stropping is more than capable of maintaining an edge. I will conceed to the need to go to pasted hanging strops once in a while though. I have strops of what I class as differing qualities, so I am able to bring an edge back on these differing plain leather strops depending on razor steel and bluntness. If this fails, a few strokes over a pasted strop (hanging type) will normally set the edge again for a normal strop.
I am supprised on this forum by the amount of dedication put into honing a razor, justified though it is. I would fret over the amount of steel I'm removing for one thing on a regular basis. Perhaps honing seems the thing to learn by people new to SR's. I for one spent most of my time learning to strop.
I bought a Timor Special back in 1982. I have never honed that razor even when fresh out of the box ( it wasnt shave ready when new by a long shot). Good steel and strop technique imo. To add, I have other razors that require more attention on the pasted strops than most ( poorer steel imo) but still have never been honed. Then there are the "slackers" in the arsenal that just need pampering every year or so just to stay in shape (bit like me ). I use these less now.

I would heartily recomend mastering stropping over honing but not to belittle the need to learn to hone. If done well, a good honed razor will last for years without the need to do it again.

I'll shut up now

PuFF