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

Originally Posted by mrsell63

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

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

Thanks for asking - it's Ferntree Gully, known also as FTG.

Ferntree Gully is in the south-east of Melbourne in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges. (Not sure how many Km it is, but it is about an hour drive from the city of Melbourne).

All the best,
Michael (who likes this part of Australia)

And now... after this short break we bring you back to your thread

Originally Posted by Stubear

When I got my first razor I stropped it before and after the shave, and I used it daily for about 5 months with no ill effect and no real degradation of the edge. It still shaved very well after 5 months, with no pulling or irritation.

When I got my next razor I realised that the first one had dulled slightly (I could tell the difference in sharpness), so I touched this one up on a high grit hone, and that brought it right back.

Many people on this forum strop after the shave as well as before it, and I've not read of anyone having problems with it.

In fact, the consensus is that stropping after the shave is actually beneficial as it cleans of the micro gunk thats on the edge. Personally I think stropping after the shave as well does help keep an edge for longer.

You can use a razor daily, as I did, with no problems if you look after it. The only snag will be if it dulls and you have to send it out to be honed, leaving you razorless!

I do 25 canvas and 50 - 60 leather before the shave, and then 10 canvas and 15 - 20 leather after the shave. Not caused any problems at all!

I'm quite new to this. I am curious on if one should strop before the shower and get out and lather up and shave immediately or get out of the shower and strop and then shave immediately.

The first shave I tried, I got out and stropped and it seemed awkward.

The next few I did the reverse and was more comfortable. I do think as a newbie I dulled the edge the first couple times while working on technique and even sliced into the leather a bit on day 1 and 3.

Originally Posted by slim5111

I'm quite new to this. I am curious on if one should strop before the shower and get out and lather up and shave immediately or get out of the shower and strop and then shave immediately.

It makes very little difference if any. The steel surface starts deteriorating the moment it is exposed, but the rate for a perceptible effect is hours, not minutes.
I strop while my face is lathered so that the lather can do it's work on the whiskers.

In your case the dominant factor for how good your shave is, is your experience, closely followed by how lucky you got on that particular day

Originally Posted by FTG

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.

I'm glad I'm not the only one! Sometimes, I'll be in the bathroom, see my razor and strop sitting there, and decide they need some attention.
There have been occasions where i didn't shave for 3 or 4 days, but I still stropped a blade everyday. :P

I shave every other day, so the suggested waiting period isn't a problem for me.

Just to interject, I do 60/60 before shaving and before I do my 'Fools Pass'[upper lip WTG/ATG pass's] I do another 40 or so on the smooth side of my Illinois faithful 260 strop. It does[IMO]keen up the edge a bit, and if that's just in my head at least it does give me the confidence to surry forth and get the trickier parts of my face BBS!! Then another 20 pass's after I rinse and dry the razor when I'm done, Obsessive, maybe, but it gets me through, so to speak.

Continue on gents, don't let me slow the thread down.

tinkersd of SRP.

Originally Posted by tinkersd

Just to interject, I do 60/60 before shaving and before I do my 'Fools Pass'[upper lip WTG/ATG pass's] I do another 40 or so on the smooth side of my Illinois faithful 260 strop. It does[IMO]keen up the edge a bit, and if that's just in my head at least it does give me the confidence to surry forth and get the trickier parts of my face BBS!! Then another 20 pass's after I rinse and dry the razor when I'm done, Obsessive, maybe, but it gets me through, so to speak.

Continue on gents, don't let me slow the thread down.

tinkersd of SRP.

You do 60 fabric then 60 leather before the shave and another 40 during? Well I've been doing ~30/60 and was worried it waws too much I've thought about taking the blade for a few more laps around the strop during the shave, but I was worried it might be bad for the strop or the razor.

Absa'to'bloody'lutely!!!

Thats right Hayduke, its more than just trying to cover all base's when I strop that much, I do feel a noteble difference before and after with the TPT on the razors edge. Just feels keener to me[IMO] after I do 60linen/60smooth on my Ill.#260. But if you get great results with you regimin, please don't let my singular opinion sway you, keep on keepin' on!!

With respect, tinkersd of SRP.

Originally Posted by tinkersd

and before I do my 'Fools Pass'[upper lip WTG/ATG pass's] I do another 40 or so on the smooth side of my Illinois faithful 260 strop.

I'm glad you mentioned that because I am struggling a bit with the old upper lip. I'm finding that after I've done WTG and then ATG it looks like a red inner tube stuck on under my nose. Bit sore and all that. I'm trying just XTG for the moment which isn't BBS, but more comfotable until I work things out.
Maybe I should try a few laps on the strop like you do.

AD

I tried some mid shave extra laps up and down the strop last night. I couldn't tell a difference

Sorry tinkersd. Maybe there was a difference and I'm still much of a newb to notice