Thread: Stropping after honing!!

I find that after honing a razor the initial stropping is a lot more intense the your before shaving
stropping procedure, well i dont count strokes while stropping but i would say its double what i usually do after a shave, the outcome is good so no complaint there but just wondering if its common to everyone.

With a freshly honed razor I will do a minimum of 100 laps, first on linen and then another 100 on the leather. Test shave. If there is a slight problem I will go back to the strop and try again and then make a decision on wether or not to go back to the stones.

Well im glad to hear that i would say that about right for me, i must say that ive read many threads and wiki and i dont think it does mention the elaborate stropping after honing. As long as the outcome is good, and its not my honing all is well!!

I always do quite a bit of stropping after honing. I think it helps make the shaves a little smoother.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I always do quite a bit of stropping after honing. I think it helps make the shaves a little smoother.

Yes after honing one and did regular stropping test shave not to hot back to stropping linen and leather, test shave smooth......
quite a difference. Stropping is such an important part of the whole process, ive been doing a lot lately and find that the edge retention is so much better, keep on stropping!!!!

I always do extra stropping after the hones. Gives the edge that little bit extra

There are two thoughts on this:

One: The one you and I follow, that extra stropping is good, I exactly double my normal routine and do 50 linen, stop and check the edge one last time under a lighted 30x loupe, I have found that if there are is any weakness in the edge, that stropping on the linen will show it... I then do 100 laps with leather, followed by a test shave...

Two: The other side of the coin is that the edge it raw from the honing, and that you should only do 10-20 very light laps on the leather before the test shave...



*This has nothing to do with the tests one should do on their honing by trying shaves after different stages in the process without any stropping to learn their edges*

After honing, I typically do 40-60 strokes on the leather, test shave and then another 40-60 on the leather again.

Have fun

Well thank you, seems like most do a lot more stropping after honing,Lynn got a different aproach but im sure his honing exceeds mine for sure.Gssixgun i like your aproach as well, but "at this point in time" i dont have a 30x loupe or microscope, been wanting one for a while. After 25 years of sharpening woodworking tools i was under the impression that i had all the tools required to do this except for a fininshing hone guess i was wrong after all...........

Sixty laps on horsehide always do it for me.HOG