Thread: Stropping a tired razor back into action.

I have often gone straight to a touch up hone to refresh a razor's edge if it is not up to snuff. But with the fairly recent addition of my Hand American strops I decided to try something that mparker is often talking about.

Instead of a touchup hone I went to the strops.

For reference the razor is a 1/4 hollow razor.

I did 100 laps on the 'Russian' side of the Chicago special. This is something I didn't have in the past and am very glad I got it. Following the backside of the Chicago Special, I went to the front. I did about 80 laps on that.

At this point I decided I would test it and it was feeling much better, but still not what it has been in its prime.

So I pulled out the Hand American Signature strop with its English Bridle backside and Cordovan front. The razor got 60 laps on both sides.

The following shave was as good as if I had given it a refresh honing and took very little time.

With the Russian side of the Chicago Special I think that this will be my routine due to its ease and results.

I had a very fine shave with a razor I though would need a touch-up honing, thanks to my Hand Ameircan strops and previous posts by mparker about this kind of routine.

Perhaps mparker uses other strops, but these worked very well for me.

Actually, I do it with the linen side of my strops, which are mostly vintage, TM, and Kanoyama. Glad it worked for you.

I would imagine the razor was very very close to shave ready to begin with. leather by itself doesn't really sharpen. I know parker has talked about using linen and alot of laps to bring a razor back.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I would imagine the razor was very very close to shave ready to begin with. leather by itself doesn't really sharpen. I know parker has talked about using linen and alot of laps to bring a razor back.

Yes, and I have tried the cloth component in this way and have never had a lot of noticable results. But the embosed diamond side of the HA Chicago Special seems to have done the trick. At least with the razor in hand.

Originally Posted by ZethLent

Yes, and I have tried the cloth component in this way and have never had a lot of noticable results. But the embosed diamond side of the HA Chicago Special seems to have done the trick. At least with the razor in hand.

I believe Chris Moss uses the diamond side of his Illinois strop the same way, as a linen substitute. One of these days I'll have to try one.

IMHO , 5-10 laps on my finish hone is alot less work than 240 laps on a strop .

I've been doing something similar lately. Since I rotate through many razors, they go a long time between stropping and honing.

What I've been using is an older Hand American Strop (even pre-dates the original run of "Old Dog" strops) with a diamond-embossed side and a plain leather side, both in red latigo and with significant stiffness in the leather. I do 20 laps on each side of this strop, and then proceed with another 40 laps on one of Damon's ProForma strop. The use of the diamond-embossed side makes a positive difference.

Originally Posted by dave5225

IMHO , 5-10 laps on my finish hone is alot less work than 240 laps on a strop .

You read my mind; I was thinking I could lap a vintage Barber's hone and refresh a handful of razors in the same span of time. I think this was just a bit of experimentation, which is par for the course. We aren't using straights because we like to rush through the experience.

Originally Posted by Basset

I think this was just a bit of experimentation, which is par for the course. We aren't using straights because we like to rush through the experience.

I agree experimentation is a good thing . If one doesn't have a hone or pasted strop , this would be the way to go .

Originally Posted by Basset

You read my mind; I was thinking I could lap a vintage Barber's hone and refresh a handful of razors in the same span of time.

You might be surprised. 240 laps is only about two minutes time, once your stropping speed is up there. It isn't necessarily faster than a barber hone, but neither is it necessarily much slower, and it can easily give you a sharper edge than that barber hone.

Originally Posted by Basset

I think this was just a bit of experimentation, which is par for the course. We aren't using straights because we like to rush through the experience.

When I first started my experiments on this I was just seeing how far I could take an edge if all I had was a strop, since there are lots of stories of old timers using razors for years or even decades with nothing but the strop. In particular I wanted to force myself to avoid the hone, to see if the strop really could sharpen a razor over the normal course of daily use. The results were interesting by themselves, but as a secondary benefit it convinced me to take my stropping skills seriously and improved my stropping. I have come to believe that we spend far too much time fussing about honing; that stropping is even more important a skill than honing. If your stropping is good you can reasonably go a half year or more between honings; in this circumstance how important is honing really? After all even if your honing isn't great you can still finish sharpening the blade with your strop.