Thread: Fix with strop or Hone?

Hey all,

I just recently purchased a straight from vintage bladesllc. It is great and came ready to shave. Anyway, my current strop was a crappy one I got with a kit and I had put some nicks in it with a previous crappy straight I was using before I got my new one. So stupidly I stropped my new razor with the crappy strop and now the edge has dulled a bit giving me a hard time on my third pass. I just ordered a new strop much better quality and a three inch one so I don't have to do the x pattern. My question is: Will the new strop get the blade back to shave ready because its a new blade or should I take it to the Norton 8k?

Thanks in advance for your help!

I would wait till you get your new strop and try stropping your blade real well. if that doesn't work strop again then if the edge doesn't come back go to the hone.

Yes, stropping could return the edge to shave ready condition. That's usually my first step. I think the last time I honed my Puma was last March 2012. So I know stropping will keep an edge shave ready.

Ok thank you both for your help. Please pardon another Nubee question, but what exactly does stropping really well mean. (How many strokes) Ha, but seriously....

Originally Posted by pbsd

Ok thank you both for your help. Please pardon another Nubee question, but what exactly does stropping really well mean. (How many strokes) Ha, but seriously....

To me "How many strokes?" is like asking "How many minutes/ seconds until the gas tank is full?" It's full when it's full, yes?

Same concept with stropping. Number of strokes is really meaningless. Maybe a general reference, but if you were told your tank would be full in 5 minutes and it started over-flowing at 1.5, would you keep adding fuel?

Hey Honeright. Yes I get what you are saying. I guess a better question would be how do you know when your tank is full. What's the gage?

Originally Posted by pbsd

Hey Honeright. Yes I get what you are saying. I guess a better question would be how do you know when your tank is full. What's the gage?

The gauge I use is typically called the "Thumb Pad Test." Some use what they call the "Shaving Test."

To use another analogy, the thumb pad test is more like a gauge on a fuel pump. Once you have developed the skill to "read" it, the thumb pad will quickly tell you if you've stropped enough and the razor is ready to shave.

On the other hand, the shaving test is more like getting into the car and driving to determine whether or not you've added enough fuel. And if not you must go back and refuel. Or - strop, lather, shave.... strop, lather, shave...

Yes I understand the you will know it when you feel it. I have done a thumb test on the new razor I bought that was shave ready. It didn't really seem that sharp to me until I shaved. I am sure this is a frustrating question that will inspire a lot of eye rolling and head slapping, but can you try to describe in words with the blade is supposed to feel like when you touch it with your thumb? I mean is it like aw f#@4#q sharp!, or something else?

Oh, and to further muck it up, a couple of different methods have been described for the thumb pad test. The method I use seems risky, but if done correctly is perfectly safe and is consistent with what I've seen barbers do. This method involves drawing the moistened thumb pad along the edge of the razor for a fraction of a nanometer before lifting the thumb away. More of a light touch. Actually this method, if practiced, provides a wealth of info about the condition of the razors edge.

The other method involves drawing, or scraping the thumb pad lightly across the razors edge. While I use this method with kitchen and pocket knives, I don't find it useful for straight razors.

This link in the wiki is a good guide http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwi...ests_explained