Thread: Question about stropping:

I was under the impression that one was supposed to strop before each shave but heard one user, somewhere else, say that he only stropped every few shaves.

My question is: Is it better for the edge/metal to strop before every shave of wait until you have shaved X-amount of times?

I always strop 50 linen and 100 leather before EVERY SHAVE just to give myself the sharpest,smoothest shave i can get!!

Originally Posted by nessmuck

I always strop 50 linen and 100 leather before EVERY SHAVE just to give myself the sharpest,smoothest shave i can get!!

I concur with the above post. Stropping only polishes that fine edge, but what a difference a polish can make. I find myself stropping once again before that final touchup pass. And then back to the strop before putting said razor to rest for the week. If done properly- IMO, stropping can't hurt the blade, but can only improve that fine edge.YMMV. Roll the edge and that's a whole different story. That post by that man you read may have some gnarwly tough skin, I don't know. I say strop away.

I think stropping every few shaves would be feasible with a high Rockwell blade .
Softer tempered steel , no way.

rostfrei,

WRT onimaru55s' observation, I can concur with this, but have no definitive proof of it.

During one of my stropping 'doldrums' last year, I used my TI C135 half-hollow for four shaves without stropping, and at the end the shave was still passable. To be critical, I did not then do a control set of shaves with a softer blade and no stropping to see how it turned out.

However, there was clearly a marked difference in quality of the last shave compared to the first; after a good stropping the shave was back to excellent again.

So, it seems, that at least for one of my razors, you could strop every few shaves, but why would you want to ?

Stropping, for me, is an enjoyable part of the shave routine

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

I also strop after every shave to remove any beginning of micro-corrosion. That can also ruin an edge quick. My beard is an absolute razor destroyer anyway, so anything that might help the edge is fair game. It certainly doesn't hurt.

I also do ~50 linen/100 leather before every shave too. Was doing 40/50, but my edges last much longer w/ more stropping.

Originally Posted by PA23-250

I also strop after every shave to remove any beginning of micro-corrosion. That can also ruin an edge quick.

Good point a clean edge will be more durable. Makes a great argument for linen or similar.

before and after for me....

50 linen, 50 leather on the Premium IV, and 50 leather on the Premium I.

After, 20 on linen or hard felt to dry it and remove gunk.


I'm always looking for times to strop. I've said this before, I think it's rather fun, so I look forward to it.

I do however, strop at night. That way, I'm ready to go in the morning.

Maxi

I shave before and after every shave.

I do 30 fabric and 60 leather before each shave to get the edge in the best possible shape, and then I do 15 fabric and 30 leather afterwards to make sure the edge is totally free from gunk and to "repair" the edge from the micro marks the stubble leaves.

This works very well for me.

Stropping before every shave is best and the most helpful (after too is fine as well). As you perfect your shaving technique over the years you'll start producing less damage to the blade per shave. Stropping smooths out very slight imperfections. After a while it becomes like washing clean dishes, polishing an already polished car, vacuuming a clean freshly vacuumed rug, etc.

The same people that have a hard time understanding this concept will pick up a DE razor and shave with it for 5 days in a row and think nothing of it. How is that possible? It just is . . . I've even worn the same shoes two days in a row without replacing the soles. They still seem to work pretty well.

But if your really negligent in your stropping and miss a few days, well then, you'll have to strop. MMMMM, that warning didn't really have the impact I thought it might.

I'll put it this way. If a razor can not be used for the first stroke of the second shave, then chances are it was not good for the last stroke on the first shave.