I use a natural cork from a wine bottle. Usually one light swipe (like you're cutting the cork) or maybe 2 on each edge works for me

@JohnD357

2 жыл бұрын

I think Mantic59 recommended that. I tried it once and almost sliced my thumb. Stropping against leather is much easier and less dangerous.

This is a great idea.👌

Good video

IT'S VERY NICE IDEA.. THANKS FOR SHARING.

The angle you are using is way too high. You are most likely rolling the edge to the other side which in turn will make the performance and longevity of the edge suffer. In straight razor stropping you are taught to lay the blade flat on the strop. Being that the spine and the edge are always in contact with the surface. Applying too much pressure will also produce the same unwanted results. Just a couple of tips to help you out in your endeavors. Happy Stropping.

Great idea. I like an aggressive shave... but sometimes that first shave is a little TOO aggressive.

Can you do the same technique on old double edge razor blades on an oilstone or wetstone to sharpen the blades as opposed to just re-honing the blade?

@JohnD357

3 жыл бұрын

I don't know as I've not done that. I suspect you can but it would take a lot of skill with a wetstone because of the shallow angle of a typical razor blade.

@rickpollard1853

3 жыл бұрын

I strop a lot of knives and the trick is to not let the blade get too dull. I've taken to flipping my blades after each use and now I'm going to try stropping them after the second flip. Great video. Thank you.

@tunneltrance

3 жыл бұрын

@@JohnD357 I am attempting this right now. It's difficult to hold the blade consistently at that extreme shallow angle, every time I try on my waterstone I end up rounding the blade. I am trying to improvise a homemade jig to hold the blade very shallow but consistently. I can't wait to see what happens to the quality of the shave If I am able to get some of these old blades re-honed. The various teflon coatings, etc. get removed when doing this, so I am wondering how the blade will perform on my skin. Perhaps I can take new blades from old samples packs that I didn't like because they were too rough or aggressive and hone them into blades I can use. That's what I am hoping for!

@JohnD357

3 жыл бұрын

@@tunneltrance I don't really spend any time maintaining a particular angle when stropping the razor blade. I'm just trying to smoothen out any issues from manufacturing. I'm also remove the teflon or "platinum" coating from those blades because I've found that those blades are rough until used once. Instead of stropping them on my face, I would rather strop them on the leather. I think you should try this with blades from sample packs that you initially thought were too rough. This should actually help them out.

This is a great tip, thank you. If it works I will just mount two pieces leather on my bathroom wall.

Makes sense. Always thought the first shave with a new blade was a strop in itself and further shaves are better. That said, looks like you are applying some good pressure there looking at the bend in the blade?

@JohnD357

4 жыл бұрын

Hi Simon. Thanks for your message. Yes, I'm flexing the blade at the center to make sure the edge has good contact with the leather. But the blade doesn't ever take a bend at all since it's so thin and flexible anyway. These blades get flexed a lot when they're housed in the razor, and yet still return to flat OK. I agree with you that it always seemed like the first shave was stropping against my face, but that's what made the first shave irritable in a lot of cases. I went to this process to let the leather be the strop and save my face from the irritation.

@simona1136

4 жыл бұрын

@@JohnD357 Options also available to 'strop' on the hand? Or through a cork? With my preferred blades I DO find that shaves no 2 onwards are SO much better than the first with that blade without stropping.

@JohnD357

4 жыл бұрын

@@simona1136 I tried Matic59's corking process and almost sliced up my fingers. I didn't find it easy to get the edge through a cork. The traditional stropping with leather is pretty easy. I've never come close to cutting myself doing it as I described.

@georgemakuca8870

3 жыл бұрын

@@JohnD357 ...it is simalar method as a straight razor stropping!

@JohnD357

3 жыл бұрын

Yes, absolutely.

Curious, do you have experience with carbon blades?

@JohnD357

2 жыл бұрын

I have done the same procedure with vintage carbon steel blades and it's worked out fine, for what they are. I've not used any modern carbon steel blades. I would expect stropping to generally help however. Channeling my best Curly from the Three Stooges, it "couldn't hoit".

Just run it backwards on the palm of your hand. Or if u wanna get fancy an old pair on denim jeans