How many shaves can you safely or reasonably go without stropping?

[J Carroll]

I got my first straight razor in the mail today, a Dovo #1226850 'Palisander' 6/8" Full Hollow Ground Round Point Razor w/ Palisander Handle--the model made to Jarrod's specs for Superior Shave.

I don't have the strops yet. They'll be here later in the week (I hope! USPS can be iffy).

So, I went ahead and did two passes, though I had shaved this morning already with a safety razor. Very wobbly and tentative at first, but picked up more of a feel for it as I went along. The second pass was considerably more poised than the first.

Question is: how bad would it be to go on shaving with the razor every day while waiting for the strops to arrive? Might be Wednesday, or Thursday, if I'm lucky. (I ordered a brush two weeks ago, and it is still floating around somewhere in the USPS system. The razor, though, was mailed on Friday and arrived today.)

How much damage is done to the blade, or is likely to be done to the face, by shaving for a couple of days without stropping? Not advisable at all? Just be patient and carry on with the safety razors while waiting? Or only marginal degradation of the blade/shave, to be restored readily by stropping on Wednesday or Thursday?

Joe

 

[Treynman]

According to Dovo, they recommend stripping after about 7 shaves. Usually, most do it before each shave, but I'm sure you could get away with several shaves.

 

[J Carroll]

According to Dovo, they recommend stripping after about 7 shaves. Usually, most do it before each shave, but I'm sure you could get away with several shaves.

Ah, great. That's good news. Thanks!

Joe

 

[BillC]

You can also fashion a serviceable strop from a sheet of newspaper. A movie starring our own Seraphim:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGVNbMvvOJI

 

[J Carroll]

You can also fashion a serviceable strop from a sheet of newspaper. A movie starring our own Seraphim:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGVNbMvvOJI

Ah, nifty. I'll try that. Thank you.

Joe

 

[J Carroll]

You can also fashion a serviceable strop from a sheet of newspaper. A movie starring our own Seraphim:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGVNbMvvOJI

I did try the newspaper strop. Since that was my first stropping experience, I can't compare it with anything else, but it seemed to work fine. Glad to get in some practice with the hand motions.

Joe

 

[rider4life]

I went about 4 shaves without stropping. I could feel the razor getting worse each shave though. Even the newspaper is a better option than not stropping at all in my books. With the newspaper, I got in about 10 shaves before I felt the blade starting to give. That being said, that was also back before I really had my stropping technique down so that may have been just me.

Cheers,

M.

 

[J Carroll]

I went about 4 shaves without stropping. I could feel the razor getting worse each shave though. Even the newspaper is a better option than not stropping at all in my books. With the newspaper, I got in about 10 shaves before I felt the blade starting to give. That being said, that was also back before I really had my stropping technique down so that may have been just me.

Cheers,

M.

I was glad to hear about the newspaper stropping. That will hold me until the strops I ordered arrive. They were mailed yesterday so should be here by the end of the week.

I had my second shave this morning (and my first cut, not too bad; no dripping blood). Went three passes but gave up on worrying about WTG, XTG, and ATG. For the time being, until I get a better handle on technique, I'm just aiming at getting the blade across my face without too much damage to the skin. Today, I'll watch some videos and read up some on different ways to hold the razor.

Until I have more skill and experience, it would be hard for me to tell whether the blade is dulling a little or whether it's just me being dull. But I'm sure that the stropping makes a difference, so am glad I've got the newspaper to hold me over until the strops arrive.

Could be too that I'll be in some foreign clime, will cut a travel strop, and will make do with a newspaper. Good thing to know about.

Joe

 

[blackhhawk]

I remember making this exact post. It wasn't even that long ago... I think I stropped on jeans and due to my lack of skill it may have done more harm than good. Whatever you end up stropping on, make sure you don't push/turn the edge too hard so that you roll the edge on the strop. Just try and keep everything flat. Good luck and welcome.

 

[Attila]

I remember making this exact post. It wasn't even that long ago... I think I stropped on jeans and due to my lack of skill it may have done more harm than good. Whatever you end up stropping on, make sure you don't push/turn the edge too hard so that you roll the edge on the strop. Just try and keep everything flat. Good luck and welcome.

This is great advice. Most of us have gone through that...

 

[jkh]

Honestly, you should strop prior to every shave, but as a "new guy" it probably doesn't matter too much because (1) you're still figuring out how to hold the razor to your face and (2) it is probable that "damage" will be done to the edge with improper stropping. That said, if you are patient and set your expectations correctly, you'll get a hang of shaving and stropping in now time. Get really good and stropping, it is the most important edge maintenance you'll do to a razor.

 

[Luc]

Every shave in a perfect world. I don't think I would go over 3 shaves. I did newspaper stropping, it works but it's really because you're stuck in a corner that you would do that. The edge won't be very smooth and nothing compared to leather.

 

[J Carroll]

Every shave in a perfect world. I don't think I would go over 3 shaves. I did newspaper stropping, it works but it's really because you're stuck in a corner that you would do that. The edge won't be very smooth and nothing compared to leather.

Looking forward to the leather, and the linen. I worked with Jarrod at Superior Shave, asking him about razors and strops. I ordered the Kohl & Laibach (Herold) 189J as a main daily strop, because it is 3" wide. Has no linen backing, so I also ordered an all linen strop. For the purposes of sharpening with pastes, I got a paddle strop, a two-sided tension mounted Herold 57Ri. The plan is to use one side of the paddle stop for Dovo green paste (6 micron) and the other side for Dovo red paste (3 micron). The flip side of the linen strop will serve for the chromium oxide finishing paste (.5 micron).

I also got the ambidextrous Herold 189WJ strop to serve as a travel strop. It's only 2" wide but has the linen with the leather.

I won't be worrying about a stone for a while. Or rather, I'm already worrying about it, but I won't be needing to use one for a while. Jarrod says that I might get a year out of the green/red/chromium oxide before I need to go to a stone.

I read on the Vintage Blade shop site a recommendation to kit up with (1) a Norton 4000/8000 waterstone; (2) either some strop-paste arrangement or a finishing stone, for instance, a Belgian coticule; and (3) chromium oxide.

On the Superior Shave site, Jarrod says he prefers working with the coticule alone. He says the coticule gives more smoothness though less sharpness.

I was wondering whether it would not be wise to start with a waterstone and move to a coticule for finishing.

I was also wondering whether I should get a block of balsa from Vintage blades and use that for the chromium oxide rather than the back side of the linen strop.

Joe

 

[Attila]

For me, because my beard is rather coarse. I have not had good success with coti edges so far. I find them not sharp enough...for me.

 

[Doc226]

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/352443-How-many-shaves-without-stropping

 

[J Carroll]

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/352443-How-many-shaves-without-stropping

Thanks for that, but as on other issues, I come out with no very distinct conclusion. Most people strop. One guy goes without stropping and says stropping makes no difference.

If anyone who read that thread is also reading this thread, what conclusions did you come to on your own account?

Here's a practical question: typically how many standard three-pass shaves do you give to a blade before you go either to a finishing stone or a sharpening paste sequence?

How often do you hone on a waterstone? Do you just do touchups with a finishing stone and/or sharpening pastes in between sessions with a waterstone?

Newbie questions. I imagine there's a good deal of variation among individuals. I'd like to hear what experienced shavers have settled on for their own practice.

Joe

 

[J Carroll]

For me, because my beard is rather coarse. I have not had good success with coti edges so far. I find them not sharp enough...for me.

Would it work to start with a waterstone and move to a coti for finishing?

I'm not yet very clear in my head about where the sharpening pastes stand relative to the waterstone and the coti or other finishing stones.

Are the pastes just used for touchup? Are they equivalent to a finishing stone like a coti?

The Dovo green paste is 6 micron; the Dovo red paste is 3 micron; and the chromium oxide finishing paste (.5 micron).

The Vintage blade site says start with a waterstone and finish either with a Coti or the pastes.

So is this correct?

1. Most coarse, a waterstone, like the Norton 4000/8000 combination stone.

2. Finer, a coti, and the coti is more or less equivalent to a paste sequence in two steps: 6 microns, and 3 microns.

3. And then one finishes the whole sharpening process with chromium oxide.

Joe

 

[Doc226]

Thanks for that, but as on other issues, I come out with no very distinct conclusion. Most people strop. One guy goes without stropping and says stropping makes no difference.

If anyone who read that thread is also reading this thread, what conclusions did you come to on your own account?

Here's a practical question: typically how many standard three-pass shaves do you give to a blade before you go either to a finishing stone or a sharpening paste sequence?

How often do you hone on a waterstone? Do you just do touchups with a finishing stone and/or sharpening pastes in between sessions with a waterstone?

Newbie questions. I imagine there's a good deal of variation among individuals. I'd like to hear what experienced shavers have settled on for their own practice.

Joe

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/296942-How-Many-Shaves/page48

 

[Attila]

Would it work to start with a waterstone and move to a coti for finishing?

I'm not yet very clear in my head about where the sharpening pastes stand relative to the waterstone and the coti or other finishing stones.

Are the pastes just used for touchup? Are they equivalent to a finishing stone like a coti?

The Dovo green paste is 6 micron; the Dovo red paste is 3 micron; and the chromium oxide finishing paste (.5 micron).

The Vintage blade site says start with a waterstone and finish either with a Coti or the pastes.

So is this correct?

1. Most coarse, a waterstone, like the Norton 4000/8000 combination stone.

2. Finer, a coti, and the coti is more or less equivalent to a paste sequence in two steps: 6 microns, and 3 microns.

3. And then one finishes the whole sharpening process with chromium oxide.

Joe

I will defer to the more experienced guys. However, I have seen Doc hone a glass dulled razor on a Jnat only, to extreme sharpness. Also, I have heard of others taking a dulled razor from start to finish on a Coti using different dilucot methods. Us mere mortals are probably better off using a progression of stones first and then finishing on a Coti or Jnat and then maybe CrO2 and stropping.

I'm quite a beginner myself to honing so the more experienced guys will likely give you some different answers!

 

[J Carroll]

I will defer to the more experienced guys. However, I have seen Doc hone a glass dulled razor on a Jnat only, to extreme sharpness. Also, I have heard of others taking a dulled razor from start to finish on a Coti using different dilucot methods. Us mere mortals are probably better off using a progression of stones first and then finishing on a Coti or Jnat and then maybe CrO2 and stropping.

I'm quite a beginner myself to honing so the more experienced guys will likely give you some different answers!

Thanks for that input. The progression of stones makes good sense.

So, the sharpening pastes would not figure in that sharpening regimen? Do you use them at all?

What is a Jnat?

I'm groping in the dark here. The regimen Jarrod was recommending, if I understood him correctly, was (1) to strop daily, normally, without paste; (2) then every now and again use the sharpening paste to bring the blade back up to par; (3) then in possibly a year or sooner, when the sharpening paste won't do the job any more, to hone on the stones.

Jarrod didn't give a timeline on how often to use the sharpening pastes, but Vintage blade says do it every 2-3 weeks.

The Vintage Blade site recommends starting with a Norton 4000/8000, then going either to pastes or to a finishing stone.

After describing a sequence of sharpening pastes, they say "When needed (most probably every 2-3 weeks), a repetition of this process should be all that is necessary to keep your razors in perfect shaving condition."

But it isn't clear to me if they mean that you are also supposed to hone using the Norton 4000/8000 every 2-3 weeks, finishing off with the finishing stone or the pastes, or whether you use the Norton much less frequently, every few months or a year, and just touch up the blade every 2-3 weeks with the paste or a finishing stone.

That second option--a honing every few moths or a year, and a touch up with pastes every few weeks, seems to be what Jarrod is recommending.

It would be illuminating to me if some of the experienced straight shavers would simply describe their own regimens: what stones they use, how often, and (if they combine them with sharpening pastes) how often they use the pastes.

One advantage of the pastes for a newbie, I would think, is that it involves a motion like that of normal stropping; always pushing against the spine, rather than the honing motion, which pushes the blade forward first. From what I've read, it seems that the second process is the one that is most difficult and most likely to damage your razor, if you are not skilled. That's why people recommend you get a cheapo second razor and practice honing with it.

Joe