Thread: Strop or not

I recently saw a video where Nic from Nic Shaves went to see Howard at the Perfect edge on U-Tube. Howard said you don't need to strop, just freshen us the razor with a 12k, 16k or 30k stone. 5-7 light laps and your good to go. It was said that since a strop doesn't sharpen the blade, just polish it, if the blade is honed right that's all you need. I tried it without stropping then with 10-15 strops after and before and I think the 10-15 strops does gives a better shave. When I went back to the 40-60 I found the results were not as good as the 10-15 strops. I use a SRD modular strop. His more laps really necessary or needed. Open to your opinions.

If your stropping is good more doesn't hurt, but if you like 10-15 then that's what you do, I've found that ever since my stropping is good I get a much smoother shave from 40-50 laps, yes it doesn't sharpen but it does realign and burnish the edge smooth. If your stropping sucks more will equal more degradation. Tc

When I started stropping (not very long ago) I counted each direction as a pass, so I was only stropping 25 times or so. When I got it right and went to 50 on the leather (after 20 on the fabric), it seemed much better. I also do 20 just leather before a shave, so that's 70 between each shave. I can't say for sure that it's the stropping vs my shaving technique improving, or both, but the extra passes don't take much time and I wouldn't go back.

Excepting my recent love affair with the simplicity of a few laps every couple of weeks with a coticule or Swaty barber's hone, I only have stones because I need them to unscrew screwed up blades.

Strops, on the other hand, I have because I like them. If I could hang an unbreakable coticule from a hook in my bathroom closet and use it dry I might prefer that, though.

Strop, don't not.

James.

I personally enjoy stropping, it's relaxing. On the other hand, keeping my hones flat and wet daily to "strop" with them sounds like a pain in the neck.

I agree with you, jkatzman. Even though one can shave directly off of a fine stone, I find that the polishing action of the leather strop makes for a much smoother and more comfortable shave.

It may depend on how one strops, but after about a dozen or so laps further stropping adds little improvement in the quality of my shaves.

According to my face, it appreciates a brief stropping (20-40 depending on mood, with 10-15 after).

Having watched the video the OP is refering to leaves me skeptical.

There are a couple guys like shaving straight off the stones, but I noticed that the guys who are some of the better honing fellows who charge for a service that sends out blades ready to shave , Definantly strop them up before sending, and a barber stropped when they used a real razor, , I,m not telling anyone their business, but I,ve looked at my razor under magnification after a shave, Then stropped and it was. Noticeably smoother, So I couldn't imagine removing the strop, as for the stone, as long as my bevel is set I can maintain my edge without one for a long time ,but not without a strop. Tc

In theory, one could shave off a 30K, or other fine stones but, it is not very practical.

He does say he shaves “a couple times, a week” and touches up his edge on a Coticule once a week….

Stropping result are, very subjective, and skill dependent, find a routine that works for you, then perfect it.