Thread: Resting between stropping (Not me, the razor).

Do a search for a series of threads called the grand experiment a few years ago. It addresses this very issue.

When I started researching the care and feeding of straight razors, about two years ago, I remember reading in multiple sources, that a razor should be left for twenty-four hours after stropping to allow it to return to its original shape. It was my assumption then, that this was the prevailing theory at the time. It also seemed to be well accepted that one should have two razors and alternate day by day. That being said, I usuallly strop the night before a shave to save time in the morning and I use the same razor for a week or more.

It's really weird that so many don't seem to be familiar with this idea. I'm not saying it's correct or incorrect, only that what I thought was common knowledge is actually a little known practice. Coincidentally, another current thread talks about lathering a strop. This is something else I came across in my initial research on stopping and thought it was a widespread practice. All I can conlude is, "To each, his own."

Well I've only got the one razor so it won't be resting any time soon.

leadduck, I have lathered my strop for the first time recently and it was good. How often do you do it?

AD

Twice a year, as the thread said to!

Originally Posted by adydye

I have just been reading the following advice which apparently came from the Dovo company:

"The strop should be used prior to shaving, and never- under any circumstance- after shaving. This is because after shaving the delicate cutting edge is kind of bent (not visible to the naked eye), and you would break tiny metal pieces out of the cutting edge. This would consequently lead to cuts in the skin. Many refer to this condition as a burr from misaligned micro-separations that occur when the razor is used, but will go back into position and become fine again after approx. 24 to 30 hours. Stropping just before use will further align the blade edge and put it in shave ready condition. In order to get the best daily shave with a straight razor DOVO even suggests an individual even consider having at least two straight razors on hand to fully allow time for the blade edge to rest between shaves for optimal performance."

Is this the case? I have read that some people strop after, and even during their shave; should they desist?

AD

Why would metal magically "go back to position"?

Most of us on the forum have read about giving our edges an overnight+ rest so it can reform itself but, as was posted above, barbers used their razors twenty to thirty times a day and had no problems. Today most barbers use the throw-away type razors and that's another discussion.

I think the proof is in the pudding and until I notice poor performance that I can blame on too frequent use, I will continue to use the same razor two days in a row if I want to. I usually don't but, why not?

Most of us are experienced enough to know when there is a problem with an edge. 4 or 5 laps on a Swaty or an Escher will usually take care of that. The message is, shave with any razor that turns you on today. This is supposed to be fun..................

I often take my latest acquisition along to the barbershop for my barber to shave my neck and around my ears. He is a collector also. If I wouldn't take one of my razors to the barbershop, they would shave my neck etc. with a throwaway. That upsets me..............

Jerry
~~~

I've been stropping, before, after and whenever else I feel like it

I'm going with the more stropping the merrier approach. For me - the more I strop, the better the edge is. In fact I think I might need to go and strop right now...


Michael.

Where is Farttree Gully. OR do I need new glasses??

Keep stropping...........

Unfortunately, steel does not magically reform itself after being plastically deformed.

Stropping actually buffs off oxidation from the micro-dings left in an edge from the previous day's shave. That isn't all that the stropping does, mind you.

My theory is that this oxidation does not have time to occur completely if the blade is used every day.

All theories aside, modern science doesn't support this claim of steel reforming itself over a 24 hour period. Something else is happening here and this wives tale is a convenient avenue to explain it.

Letting the fine edge on a razor 'rest to reform itself' is about as valid as pigs having wings.

When steel is deformed in the elastic region, it returns to true almost immediately after losing any/all applied force. Take, for example .. a spring. I think the world would be in trouble if every steel spring in the world took 24 hours to bounce back. In other words ... if the steel was to rebound elastically, this rebound would be immediate and not take a 24 hour time period to execute.

Yes, one could argue different steels react differently ... but this argument only goes so far and ends quite poorly. The aforementioned example spring steel is generally a medium carbon steel and razors are, of course, high carbon steel. The characteristic for this steel with a fine edge would be to experience plastic deformation and breakage. Since high carbon steels in general are quite stiff, this type of steel does not see much elastic and plastic deformation. High carbon steels behave similarly to a ceramic: able to absorb alot of force with little to no deformation with fracture being catastrophic. Sure, minor elastic deformation may occur ... but again, the rebound from the deformation would be immediate. Being on such a fine edge, it is my opinion that this this elastic deformation would move to the plastic region quite rapidly.

There are no magical properties within steel, except if you enjoy tinkering with magnets.

But if this reformation was to occur, we would have limited time to photograph wrecked cars or plasma cut steel for instance(s). In keeping with the tone of this thread, wrecked cars have this ability to magically reform themselves into the brand new car that it once was if left alone for a few days to heal. If steel is cut, we cant keep the cut pieces close to each other or else they will reform into one piece of steel again.

These last two sentences are pure and absolute rubbish ... just as much rubbish as a 24 hour reforming period for a razor edge.

Look where you are getting advice ... a razor manufacturer. Of course they want you to buy more razors. What they claim doesn't make sense to me and it does not adhere to general metallurgical principles. Since their business is metallurgy, I am pretty comfortable with figuring they know these principles as well. Remember, it takes money for testing. I don't know of one razor manufacturer that would want to prove/disprove this wives tale... simply because it costs them money without any return on their investment. In other words, it doesn't make business sense to prove or disprove this wives tale ... plus, not proving this tale might sucker someone into buying another razor from them ... so why rock the proverbial boat?

It's not gospel ... its a fable that might make them more money.

I don't see stropping after a shave to be harmful at all.




This might be the longest post to date for me. Hey, just sayin'.

Woot !

After shaving, I do 15/15 & my edges do last a bit longer. Also went from doing 25/50 before the shave to more like 50/50. Wives' tale, methinks.