Stropping a new shave ready SR

[JoeyZ]

Hello all.

I have my first shave ready razors on the way - a GD from Seraphim and a sight unseen vintage from Larry at Whipped Dog. I have been shaving using a shavette for months and have been reading extensively so I am feeling rather excited and optimistic. One concern that has popped up is stropping a new razor... Specifically, when to start.

Everyone's advice talks about the importance of stropping, many times before and after. I understand the need and value (and have a poor man's strop kit on the way too). Seraphim was pretty clear that I should not strop the new GD before my first shave. This makes sense upon reflection so that I can feel the way it is meant to feel and not risk the new edge. This has been reinforced when I read the misadventures of some that have promptly messed up their new blade with improper stropping. But this leads to the burning question (finally! Get to the point, Joe!)

How long should / can you wait before starting to strop a new shave ready blade? Or better yet, how many shaves should a newbie wait to give him the best chances of long term success?

Thanks for your help everyone!
Joe

p.s. I tried searching the forum but felt like I was hunting a specific needle in a needle stack. I will get better with that too, I hope.

 

[Doc226]

Definitely don't strop before hand.

I would strop post shave with about 20-30 laps and before the next shave for 60-70.

Tight strop, spine always in contact with strop, light pressure of the blade on the strop.

Go slow, speed comes with time.

You can also lay the strop on he counter and use like this

 

[mglindo]

+1 with Doc226 Don't strop before first shave.

 

[alpster]

Definitely don't strop before hand.

I would strop post shave with about 20-30 laps and before the next shave for 60-70.

Tight strop, spine always in contact with strop, light pressure of the blade on the strop.

Go slow, speed comes with time.

You can also lay the strop on he counter and use like this

Excellent advice! Shave ready means its ready to shave.

 

[Jnatcat]

Doc gives excellent advice.

 

[JoeyZ]

Thanks all for the quick answers... I think you may have helped me avoid (postpone) messing up my new razor.

 

[Slash McCoy]

What they said. First shave, don't strop. You may be able to get away with a second shave without stropping, maybe not. After that, strop before every shave and also at least a few laps after shaving, too, to make sure the edge is clean and dry.

 

[JoeyZ]

Thanks slash... That is the second part of what I was wondering (how long could you go?).

I will jump in with both feet soon enough.

 

[Slash McCoy]

You can meanwhile attempt to strop on newspaper. Not as good as a proper strop but it does sorta work. Take a whole page of newspaper and fold it lengthwise until you have a long strip 3" wide or a bit less. Pass one end over a towel rod or through a big D ring. Pinch both ends together and pull tight. Instant, disposable strop. If you hack it to bits you are only out a sheet of old newspaper.

 

[seattleshaver]

My advice would only be slightly different. For sure don't strop before your first shave. I would strop before the second shave but I would keep the laps down to around 30 light laps.

If you are new to stropping I don't see 100 laps right off the bat as doing anything good for your razor. Watch the videos, keep the strop taut, keep the blade flat and don't strop any more than necessary at first until you start to get the hang of it.

 

[Bobski]

All your advice re stropping is compelling in the sense of your razor arriving, after having been stropped up by your honemeister immediately after honing it. IMHO, if it has been a week or more since your razor has been stropped, then oxidisation occurs on the edge. Oxidisation of steel is rust (Fe02 - Iron oxide) If it were mine, I'd still give it a dozen on linen and a dozen on leather even if it takes you 20 minutes, it's not that hard. You will definitely need to strop it before your next shave anyway, so, bite the bullet and strop the thing. It is certainly not going to hurt the razor. And if it's poor technique you are worrying about causing damage, then your only postponing it a day or two. End of the day the razor needs stropping before every shave. Do your best, forget speed and you don't have to do a 100 laps to begin with. There are very few razor users who, when beginning haven't wrecked a strop in the first couple of months, by nicking it, chopping it, all manner of things, so it's part of the learning curve, at the end of the day you will have to strop every time you shave.

 

[Alum of Potash]

Shave-ready edge from a reputable source as received? Don't strop it, like what many folks have already said. The reason is that it should be genuinely ready to shave as received; and it being your first stropping venture, you risk to roll or otherwise damage the edge. Strop for the first time afterwards. And better yet, find a junker razor and practice stropping with it on a practice strop until you have the preliminary handling and licks down.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I am in the "Don't Strop It" camp. As for oxidation, I usually leave a film of oil on a blade on those occasions when I send someone a razor. Pinching the blade and drawing it through some folded TP is then all the prep the blade needs for a first shave.

 

[Bobski]

Agreed, it should be fine for that 1St shave. What about the 2nd shave 24 hours later, the razor will need stropping every time you shave with it.

 

[Acmemfg]

I ordered a rather expensive razor once; it was made by a well-known craftsman who is reknowned within the shave community as one of the BEST in the business. We are not talking Dovo, Boker, or even Hart Steel here. This guy's razors start at about $350-$400. Anyway, so I order it and not thinking to instruct otherwise, the shop owner decides he will crack open the box and "set up" this handcrafted blade by honing it himself. OK. Never did have the opportunity to find out just how good of a honemeister the razor maker was (or was not). Pity too
because I am told this craftsman (the maker) is just excellent when it comes to putting an edge on a blade. Moral???
Out of the box, use it. Enjoy it. Feel what a professional edge can be. Then begin to learn how to do it yourself.

 

[Bobski]

If you have a custom made razor, and the artisan told you it was stopped and ready to go, for certain, I'd want to see how it goes too. Not many can afford these top of the line razors. I bought a Thiers Issard bijou De France 7/8. Which wasn't cheap either but was marked 'shave ready'. I did as suggested and shaved with it. It was woeful and so bad I changed razors mid shave. I ended up putting it on the Suehiro 20 k for 20 or so strokes, then stopped itup and shaved perfect. Stropping for me is enjoyable. I use Kanayama strops and I wouldn't put a razor to my face that hadn't been stropped. Get into the stropping side of things, it's not to be feared at all, just like shaving the left side of your face with your left hand. It's just muscle memory.

 

[pundi64]

Really depends if the words, "Shave Ready really do apply" in eBay everyone uses these words, I've received Shave Ready and had to fine tune on a stone, before they shave great. Use your own judgment here, try it, then take note use your own shave as reference on the razor's edge.