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Stropping during shave

Hey all! Very new straight razor user. Finished my 4th shave this morning actually. Long time DE user.

I noticed yesterday that at the end of my shave I noticed the blade, although didn't feel "dull" so to speak, had a slight scratchiness to it. Finished the shave, no issues. Stropped it after the shave, and before my shave this morning, stropped it again. Blade felt nice and sharp again until near the end of this mornings shave when it started to feel just a tad little bit scratchy again.

Should I have given the razor a quick strop between the 2nd and 3rd pass? If needed, is that something that's normally done? Granted, my technique is a work in progress, and I know that affects the edge. Once I'm more proficient I don't plan on doing a 3 pass shave regardless, I just like getting the extra practice in.

Thanks,
Kyle
 
You can strop in between if you like, it won't hurt.
Most do not, nor do they feel the need.
Okay yeah, I figured most people don’t feel the need because I don’t recall hearing anyone talk about such a thing. I’ll just judge it by feel and do a few laps if I feel I need it.
thanks for the reply.
 
No worries.
Many factors could be the issue. Razor may have a wire edge, very tough beard, technique etc.
After a while you should be able to get through a full shave even with the toughest beard given good honing and stropping.
 
I have seen videos of old barbers on YT and a lot of them do strop during the shave. The barber from mastro Livi's videos hand strops as he shaves. I have tried it, can't say I saw much difference.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
When more barbers actually gave straight razor shaves and not shavette shaves, it was common to see the barber giving the razor a dozen or two laps on a strop between passes. I think most guys on this forum don't bother, and just strop before the save and that's it. Me, I almost always just do a single pass. After the shave I go about 50 laps on .1u diamond balsa, and before the shave I go 50 laps on one of my compressed cowhide strips or else the Kanayama.
 
Problem solved.

Did probably double the amount of stropping I usually do for some practice before shaving today and the blade felt smooth as butter for the entire shave.

I just wasn't stropping enough. Lesson learned.

Thanks for the advice/time fellas. Hope everyone is doing well.
 
You may also find that certain razors like more stropping. I have a Swedish Erik Anton Berg that just seems to need more stropping than my German razors - might be that the steel is a tad harder.
 

Ravenonrock

I shaved the pig
There have been a few times where the blade just didn’t feel comfortable. Instead of stropping, I just pickup another razor and continue.
 
It looks like the problem was solved, but the issue might not have been the blade...it could have been your skin still needing to adjust to using a straight razor, instead of your normal DE/blade combo.

When I started out I forced a third pass because that is what I was conditioned to do with a DE razor. I think that third pass was just too much for my skin to comfortably handle because it hadn’t gotten use to a straight razor, and because my technique wasn’t dialed in yet.

Just a thought for gents who are thinking about making the jump to straight razors.

Vr

Matt
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
You may also find that certain razors like more stropping. I have a Swedish Erik Anton Berg that just seems to need more stropping than my German razors - might be that the steel is a tad harder.
I agree. With my SR's varying from about 57 to 70 RHC, I have found that generally the harder the blade's steel the more stropping is beneficial. That however is not the case with the post-shave 0.1um diamond pasted hanging balsa stropping maintenance. There, all blades only require the same number of laps.
 
There have been a few times where the blade just didn’t feel comfortable. Instead of stropping, I just pickup another razor and continue.
Haha I'll have that luxary in due time, but I think for now it's a little early to purchase a second straight!

It looks like the problem was solved, but the issue might not have been the blade...it could have been your skin still needing to adjust to using a straight razor, instead of your normal DE/blade combo.

When I started out I forced a third pass because that is what I was conditioned to do with a DE razor. I think that third pass was just too much for my skin to comfortably handle because it hadn’t gotten use to a straight razor, and because my technique wasn’t dialed in yet.

Just a thought for gents who are thinking about making the jump to straight razors.

Vr

Matt
Yeah all of the "skin issues" I've had with my straight and my Rolls Razor experimentation have happened during the third pass. I've been able to talk myself out of doing a third pass on my neck and only focus on the cheeks/chin/stash but I get too into it and want the practice. For now on if I do a third pass, at least for a while, I will avoid my neck area. Honestly though, I've had less skin issues with the straight so far than I've had in the past with DE, which is pretty sweet.

Thanks for the tip Matt.
 
I found that the couple of times I forgot to strop, the razor was definitely impaired a little. I was thinking that most of the damage to the edge was being caused during my xtg and atg passes but that’s just when I needed the razor at it’s best. So I tried a quick strop after the xtg pass then continued. I liked it a lot although I did no testing I got the feel that it was making my edges last longer and my shaves smoother. I was seeing how many shaves I could get from my stainless Friodur at the time but I chipped the edge somehow around shave 65 or so and just returned to my normal 50 laps prior to shaving. So I personally feel it’s a help but the shaves are fine without it.
 
I also tried stropping between passes when I was starting out. But since mastering straight shaving and trying out several blades, I’ve found it to be unnecessary. Just as long as the razor’s been honed properly and stropped enough times (usually 40-60), it should cut well throughout the entire shave. It could also mean you have to get used to the straight razor’s sensation gliding across the face, cause it won’t slide perfectly like a DE or even shavette. You’ll feel a little “catch” or “tug” before it takes the hairs off. But with a confident stroke and sharp blade, it’ll cut.
 
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