Hand Stroping vs Glass Tumbler

[DonN]

I recently saw where a member of the forum demoed hand stroping - years ago a friend of my father's use to strop on the inside of a glass tumbler filled with warm water - I mentioned this technique when I first joined the forum only to be advised it wouldn't work with today's blades.

aren't both techniques aimed at smoothing out the edge ?? does the hand do something different to the edge than the glass ?

 

[mrscottishman]

I recently saw where a member of the forum demoed hand stroping - years ago a friend of my father's use to strop on the inside of a glass tumbler filled with warm water - I mentioned this technique when I first joined the forum only to be advised it wouldn't work with today's blades.

aren't both techniques aimed at smoothing out the edge ?? does the hand do something different to the edge than the glass ?

People have different ideas on this and I suppose it is no wonder. They are using different blades, different techniques and have different beards and so on. I know that after I post this there is likely to be some disagreement with what I say and I understand people have different experiences, so with that in mind here I go.

Strictly speaking stropping is when you pull the body of the blade away from the edge on a smooth surface. The edge is trailing in the motion. Honing is when you push the edge with the edge leading the motion on a surface that will grind away blade material. Traditional hones are actually grinding stones. Strops are usually leather but can be canvas and a variety of other materials. My grandfather had a poplar wood stropping block. Stropping is intended to straighten the edge and reform the material. Honing is intended to grind the edge back to a narrow edge by removing material to reshape it. Both of these operations must be performed regularly on a straight razor to keep it in shaving condition. There are different opinions when they are used with disposable blades.

With today's blades and today's blade coatings it is not easy to hone a blade with common materials or without a holder. Today's blades are pretty hard and the coatings protect the blade from much side contact from the softer materials. In the case of the water glass (and I have used every glass in the kitchen to try this in years past) you are honing and stropping at the same time. One edge is leading, one edge is trailing. Also when a razor blade is pressed firmly against a glass the very edges do not contact the glass. This makes it a trick to actually contact the edges and not loose contact with the blade. I have tried this several ways and gave it up. Personally I never got a noticeable improvement. Maybe someone will make a glass lined with diamond dust and figure out a way to hold the blade at the proper angle.

I have found that hand stropping on the other hand can provide some benefit, but probably not for the reasons we expect. Modern blades have coatings that shred and deform even making microscopic pockets where debris can collect. When these coatings fan out they make the blade drag and make it seem duller than the metal edge actually is by hindering contact with the metal edge. Some of us think that hand honing removes coatings of soap and gunk along with some of the worn coatings placed on the blade when it was made. Today's better blades are so hard the edge doesn't do much rolling so honing doesn't straighten out the edge and reform it much in the way honing a straight razor does. There are actually hand powered honing machines, some look like a pencil sharpener and I have heard good reports on these but I have never used one myself. The reports with these machines seem to indicate that honing with them can extend the life of a blade a few shaves, but never restore it to new condition. Older blades were carbon steel, had no coatings, even rusted and were a different animal, so comparisons with modern blades do not really apply.

Then there is corking. You can usually mention the word and generate a pretty long thread. If you are interested there are several good threads here about corking. Corking is where you slice the material, usually cork or something like styrofoam very shallowly. Just the edge of the blade goes through the material. Think of just wiping the blade if you do this. Some people do this to every blade before they use it. Some blades are so sharp some people are irritated by them. Others have coatings that seem to irritate some shavers. Corking seems to help in both cases. It is easy to dull a blade too much when corking and corking doesn't do much to help a used blade, but then again there are people that say it works for them. They say corking tames a wild new blade and reduces the drag on a used blade. In my experience this can be true, but don't expect tremendous results, just some improvement.

I hope this helps.
YMMV
mrscottishman

 

[BBrad]

People have different ideas on this and I suppose it is no wonder. They are using different blades, different techniques and have different beards and so on. I know that after I post this there is likely to be some disagreement with what I say and I understand people have different experiences, so with that in mind here I go.

. . . <snip>.

I hope this helps.
YMMV
mrscottishman

Very well explained and nicely stated!!

Besides that, I think you are correct!!

 

[bluefoxicy]

Long story short: There's lots of voodoo. Blades are cheap, 35 cents for Gillette 7O' yellows.

 

[michiganlover]

Very well explained and nicely stated!!

Besides that, I think you are correct!!

+1

That was an awesomely wrote essay on the subject.

I have nothing further to add, except to say great job!!