Thread: Stropping for honemeisters

All the discussion of stropping, along with some experiments I'm doing, has me wondering about a slightly different angle on the debate over how much pressure to use when stropping.

Basically here's my hypothesis: Razors finished on lower grit stones benefit more from increased pressure during stropping.

Right now I'm stopping after the 8K Norton, since I've had some issues with edges honed past that point. I can get my razors to pass the hanging hair test off the 8K. After three shaves and stropping with light pressure, my Henkels no longer passed the HHT.

Today I did 30 laps on the linen, starting with firm pressure and then easing up. I did 30 more on leather, using the same progression. The razor easily passed the HHT and shaved well. I've had similar results in other trials, so it seems clear to me that my razors benefit from using more pressure while stropping.

I'm just wondering if some of the pressure vs. no pressure debate is due to how a razor is finished. An edge finished on a 12K stone or .5 micron paste might be more delicate and respond to light pressure, while an 8K edge or one sharpened on a barber hone might benefit from more pressure.

Has anyone else had similar--or contradictory--experience?

Josh

Josh -

I have a Dovo razor that I use a .5 pasted paddle to refreshen the edge along with the occasional 1.0 micron pasted paddle. Today I tried doing 20 laps on the linen and 20 laps on the leather with moderately firm pressure. The result of this was a dulled edge.

So I went back to the linen and did 10 laps with a light touch and 10 on the leather with the same light touch. The edge started to come back so I did a few more on both linen and leather with light touches. A decent edge was achieved.

Between my 1st and 2nd passes while shaving I did an additional 5 laps on each side with light touch and I could then go cross and against grain easily with no razor burn, no nicks or cuts (that's due more to user than sharpness though) and a very smooth shave. Probably the smoothest yet.

Given this, I think you might have a worthwhile theory. I know that my razor, having only used 1.0 and .5 micron to refresh and edge responds better to a very light touch (basically, just the weight of the razor). I don't have an 8k stone so I can't speak to that.

I concur, additionally their are several types of strops out there with varied surfaces and stiffness. Thus, even with the instructions "don't use so much pressure that you roll the edge" will lead to us all using a differing amount of pressure for each strop stiffness we encounter.

Josh, I had the same w/ my Zwilling Friodur. I wonder whether it is a hone thing or a steel thing that you described as I don't have the problem lwhen using my grandfather's razor which isn't even stainless.

But what is the size and grind of your razor?
Applying pressure to my full hollow 5/8 is a sure way to make it dull, since the edge folds visibly, and scrapes over the sides of the hone / strop.

The max pressure I can get away with is the weight of my fingers on the blade, and while stropping it is even less.

The whole pressure debate depends upon the actual razor in question.

Really good thread Josh!

I have noticed I have managed to dull some good edges by being ham fisted on the strop. I think light strokes is the way forward. I have also noticed that shaving with one side/face of my razor is better than the other at times. Could this be due to too much pressure resulting in the edge curling to one side on the final stroke? I wonder......

The more I read this forum the more i think light pressure is best. I can get better honing results from a full wedge than a hollow ground and I am sure this is due to less flex in the blade.

Sounds like you are prone to use too much pressure on hone and strop. I get best stropping results with very taut strop and light pressure on hone and strop.

Originally Posted by Kees

Sounds like you are prone to use too much pressure on hone and strop. I get best stropping results with very taut strop and light pressure on hone and strop.

Kees,

I'm guessing your comment was directed at my original post, not one of the replies, so I'm responding to this.

It's entirely possible that you're right. I think this would require some extensive testing.

My baseline for right now is a honemeister-sharpened razor that was finished on a high grit. On that one, stropping with pressure didn't seem to improve things, and it may have made them worse. It also didn't pass the HHT very well, either before or after stropping.

For me and my beard, which is relatively tough, I seem to have better luck with razors finished on the 8K and then stropped with pressure. My best razor is a 5/8 full hollow Henkels that I've been using this way, and it's working fine. It also passes the HHT brilliantly after stropping.

I guess the point I'm trying to make is that there are too many experienced guys on both sides of the pressure-no pressure debate for either to be "wrong." Obviously both approaches can lead to great shaves--or to disaster--depending on who uses them.

So there must be some other variables at work. Someone mentioned the grind, and I think that's a good possibility. Other options are honing and technique.

My conclusion so far is that my stropping approach was bad for the honemeister razor but good for the one I honed. I'm hoping that with my tough beard my 8K edge will last longer than the one finished on a higher grit.

Good discussion so far--thanks everybody!

Josh

One more thing: I'm also wondering if those who report only having to hone a razor once a year or once every six months might be doing something different with their honing in addition to their stropping.

Maybe an edge that's slightly less sharp lasts longer and responds better to a stropping-only maintainance approach.

Scott (honedright), if you read this, care to chime in? Do you stop at 8K or do you finish your razors with a higher grit stone or pastes?

Thanks,
Josh

Originally Posted by Kees

Sounds like you are prone to use too much pressure on hone and strop. I get best stropping results with very taut strop and light pressure on hone and strop.

I agree completely - this approach works best with all my razors - regardless of material or grind.