Stropping according to Thiers Issard

[Thomas Martin]

Gentleman. This being my second post on this forum some introduction may be appropriate. I'm 44, Swiss and was a inconsistent shaver for 30 years ( sometimes electric, sometimes with disposable cartridges, sometimes not at all for longer periods). Then I began shaving straight some weeks ago and became a convict. After roughly 50 shaves I manage to get a comfortable, close and safe shave with my Dovo. I have read a lot in this forum and on other sources about equipment, razor maintenance and shaving methods and about one thing all sources seem to agree: Stropping as frequently as possible will improve your shave if done right. I was all the more surprised when I bought a beautiful Thiers Issard Razor yesterday and read in the user guide that one should have several shaves in between stroppings. Are they wrong at TI?

Regards. Thomas

 

[barneykiller]

I always strop before and after I shave with a straight.

 

[drathgeb]

I strop lightly after a shave and thoroughly before. I couldn't imagine not stropping before a shave.

 

[Doc226]

I do it before each shave. Does it have to be done? Who knows, sometimes a razors edge might just not be "there" a good stropping can help.

Maybe someone can volunteer their face and see how long they can go without stropping. After they can't go anymore check if a good stropping brings the edge back.

 

[gash]

Sometimes I strop in the middle of a shave, before an against-the-grain pass.

 

[paco664]

Sometimes I strop in the middle of a shave, before an against-the-grain pass.

i also do this on occasion.....


i strop before every shave... the very though of trying to do multiple shaves with no stropping makes me cringe.... TI missed it on this subject...

 

[Thomas Martin]

Yes. Even as a beginner I cannot imagining shaving without stropping first. It's just part of the ritual. Question is, what does stropping really do? There seems to be some controversy about that (this has surely been discussed at length here). Some say it just cleans the edge, others claim that it removes micro serrations and realigns the edge and some think that it actually sharpens/hones the blade. But on the other hand, if it keeps the blade ready for a good shave, which seems pretty much the consensus, then I don't care what it does on a microscopic level and what TI says and I'll keep on stropping a lot.

 

[Obiwan]

To echo the above, I cant agree with TI either. Good stropping is key to keeping a nice edge for a while (See Doc's "How many shaves" thread for proof of how longan edge can be kept).

As for me, I do a full to piece stropping prior to shave and a dozen or so on each component afterwards to ensure edge is clean and dry.

 

[smalltank]

before n after..always wanna keep the edge as keen as posible.

 

[Marco]

I always strop before each shave, regardless of razor brand or condition (freshly honed or not).

 

[Krodor]

Man, I can't imagine not stropping before / after each use. Even if it didn't do anything, it's just ... just... cool. Heck, I strop a razor when I just want to do some thinking about other things. As such, I can't honestly answer the question, cuz it's never happened to me, so I don't know.

 

[noahpictures]

A while back, as an experiment, I didn't strop before (and after) for two shaves and the shaves were noticeably uncomfortable. I normally strop before and after each shave.

 

[professorchaos]

I strop before every shave. Can't hurt, probably helps. If nothing else, it gives the lather time to do its thing.

 

[life2short1971]

I strop prior to shaving and usually about 30 laps if using Cordovan.

 

[Alum of Potash]

To the OP, I have read similar literature coming with a Solingen Boeker paddle. Or words to the effect that only ~10-12 laps were needed on the tiny surface prior to using, if that. It turns out that this was referring to kitchen knives, rather than razors!

Perhaps the T-I literature is geared towards a barber cutting hair with the razor, rather than shaving hair with it? In France, I know a barber who cuts hair with a straight, and all he does prior to cutting is 1-2 laps on a small loom strop with black Dovo paste on it.

Edit: I normally do ~60 laps hanging leather strop before each shave (my passes only being around 10" long) and ~30 laps leather after each shave.

 

[life2short1971]

TI is also a sabatier and sells far more kitchen cutlery than razors.

 

[joshua1970]

add me to the 'strop before every shave' camp. and usually a dozen laps on the strop after each shave after I carefully clean/dry the blade too

 

[rajagra]

If you don't strop for each shave, how will you develop/maintain perfect technique?

 

[cleanshaved]

could this be lost in translation with TI being French.
my take on it is they could be referring to using it with a paste or spray.
unpasted daily stropping is the norm and some gents refresh on a pasted strop once a week or so.

 

[syngent]

I cant remember where i read this, But as metal will want to go back into for on its own to some degree, after a shave the artical explained that the razor should be left alone for at least 24 hours to work itself out,... then strop before your next shave, TIs instructions may have something to do with this,..

You could always fire off an Email to them and ask why instead of before every shave and see what they have to say about the matter,... and then of course let us know why lol