Thread: 'Aggressiveness' of strops and razor edges?

Originally Posted by gcbryan

By Hollywood face he meant Marty Feldman.

It's not by chance that I have made a change to this post.

I have made more posts in jest that anyone else on SRP & I have been asked to pull a couple over the years.
I have learned the hard way.

Your post was directed at a Senior Moderator, with a photo that was inappropriate.

So lets roll back on topic , Please.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

It's not by chance that I have made a change to this post.

I have made more posts in jest that anyone else on SRP & I have been asked to pull a couple over the years.
I have learned the hard way.

Your post was directed at a Senior Moderator, with a photo that was inappropriate.

So lets roll back on topic , Please.

No offense intended. Remove the whole post if you wish. If the original post was offensive (not my intent) then the remark about Marty Feldman must be offensive as well.

Originally Posted by gcbryan

No offense intended. Remove the whole post if you wish. If the original post was offensive (not my intent) then the remark about Marty Feldman must be offensive as well.

Action has been taken; we are back on topic now.

After honing or before the shave I always hit the linen for 25 laps and then on to the leather for at least 75. Now my fire house type linen is softer than any other I have felt and not stiff at all. Also, used on a paddle. I have a nice hanger and the linen is much stiffer and the blade zips across it like finger nails on a washboard. I can't feel/see any difference on the edge :<0)

Thanks for the advice Glen, it's worked for years !

I once didn't use my linen in my routine, something wasn't quite right, I did it again still not right, I went back to using my linen. Nothing scientific about my reasoning, just what my face tells me. none of my razors ever go without linen, either daily SE or after a hone, it's liven first every time,, can't help but think your right Glen it's been done for a one time before us, it must work. Tc

We're creatures of habit and often times do what someone once taught us to do I mean, why do we put our pants on one leg at a time and not just jump into them both at the same time?

At any rate I use Linen and always have. I've always felt it helps the edge. Maybe we can feel it and maybe not. We would need a blind study to test that out.

I find that even right off the hones a little trip on linen helps smooth out the edge that much quicker. This depending entirely on the hone of course, some have less need for the razor to be tuned afterward. 20-25 laps, then 50-75 on leather. My current operating theory is that linen grabs and removes any little bits of swarf , burrs, foiled material, or debris that are still clinging to the edge after honing.

I was also reading an interesting translation of a Japanese test (Iwasaki I think was the original author?) that suggested not over-cleaning linen as the blackened material that has metal embedded in it will help put a finer polish on your blade. Interesting theory that kinda makes me wish I had left my strop alone, I literally cleaned it the day before I found that text on the assumption that black schmootz = bad.

At any rate, the only way linen is going to hurt your edge is if you lift the spine and roll it.

I use a Mastro Livi loom strop. He states in his directions and videos, using the skin side should be sufficient until the blade starts to tug. He then recommends the use of the chromium oxide on his linen. I find his directions result in the blade edge being restored very quickly to it's maximum shave quality. He states proper maintenance using this technique results in much less need for stones. I have used his razors for 2 years and haven't needed to hone on a stone yet. It also works very well with all my other razors. I shave every day.

Opinions vary re stropping with anything post shave. Personally, I just dry the razor properly spray the razor with a product Inox Mx3 (Non-corrosive, non petro based lubricant ideal for the purpose) and put it away.
To demonstrate what the strop adds to the edge, many members may use a HHT after the hone. It might work, or it may miss or violin. Give the razor 20 laps on leather and try the HHT again, you should notice a difference. An old barber told me that he may use the strop up to five or six times a day. Never stropped it after a shave, only in the seconds before use, and I have always felt that the edge of the razor oxidises, so instead of making it as sharp as it can be post shave, i use the spray to exclude oxygen from it, and cant see why it needs to be sharp just to sit in it's case till next it is used. So I exclude oxygen until I next use that razor, then use linen/suede/leather just before shaving. Just my opinion, I'm sure there are other valid views.