[redcannon]

Well, as I was stropping I was wondering why I was doing it. Does it sharpen the blade? Why do we strop with leather? Why can we strop with newspaper? Does the leather have a "grit" or micron size?

thanks

[sicboater]

The conventional wisdom is that it straightens the edge. Pasted strops polish the bevel a bit and can refresh a blade that isn't at shaving prime anymore. Different leathers have different grains and this really changes the draw. The draw can also be changed with the use of non abrasive pastes or leather conditioners. Newspaper ink actually polishes the bevel a bit according to some. I have no experience with that so I can't speak to it's efficacy. Folks have also stropped on pasted balsa wood!

Some folks get addicted to stropping.

Hope this helps

-Rob

[Utopian]

Stropping is used as an energy source for the trans-dimensional civilization on planet X42. Try doing a couple of shaves with the same razor without stropping. If the shave begins to feels different, interrupt the shave and strop up the razor. See if it feels better. If so, you have just discovered the Earthly basis for stropping.

[Seraphim]

Read this.

Best info on what stropping actuall does, as opposed to conjecture on the part of all us duffers.

[icedog]

With the proper technique and stance, stropping in front of the partner makes you look really cool and sexy.

[Seraphim]

Originally Posted by icedog

With the proper technique and stance, stropping in front of the partner makes you look really cool and sexy.

Don't forget to suck in the gut!

[sicboater]

I totally forgot about this! I remember reading it and thinking that it cleared up why my linen seems to blacken over time with use. It must be the edge oxidization coming off. Thanks Seraphim!

Originally Posted by Seraphim

Read this.

Best info on what stropping actuall does, as opposed to conjecture on the part of all us duffers.

[redcannon]

Originally Posted by icedog

With the proper technique and stance, stropping in front of the partner makes you look really cool and sexy.

+1, that's the whole point of using a straight razor, right?

[Seraphim]

Originally Posted by redcannon

+1, that's the whole point of using a straight razor, right?

My wife pretty much ridicules the amount of interest I have in my straights & shaving.

Perhaps you/we are just kidding ourselves that it is cool & sexy to the opposite sex?

[redcannon]

I think we are kidding ourselves. Its perfectly possible that for some odd, unexplainable reason women just do not care about how we go about shaving. In fact, I can see how a 'collection' of straight razors and straight razor paraphernalia could be a little off-putting.

But who cares?

It would be ridiculous to devote all of one's energy to impressing women. That's why I only devote, say, 90% of my energy to that purpose.

[gssixgun]

Originally Posted by Seraphim

Read this.

Best info on what stropping actuall does, as opposed to conjecture on the part of all us duffers.

Originally Posted by sicboater

I totally forgot about this! I remember reading it and thinking that it cleared up why my linen seems to blacken over time with use. It must be the edge oxidization coming off. Thanks Seraphim!

I think somebody has posted this a few times in a few threads... Thanks for finding the article I had been looking for it and with my limited computer skills just could not latch on to it.....
This is one reason that I have been saying all along to actually use the linen side of your strop, the mirco rust and the roughness is depoisted there and not on your leather....

[driver/examiner]

Could somebody please tell me the proper way to apply paste to the linen side of a strop and how long one should wait before using the pasted side.Some say they don't use paste some do.only after honing.Please clear this up for me or at least give me something to go on..............Thanks..........Jim C.

[barneycg]

Originally Posted by icedog

With the proper technique and stance, stropping in front of the partner makes you look really cool and sexy.

I'm not so sure about that ... besides my strops couldn't hold a candle to the ones my 2.5 year old twins can throw.

Barney

[bjorn]

Originally Posted by driver/examiner

Could somebody please tell me the proper way to apply paste to the linen side of a strop and how long one should wait before using the pasted side.Some say they don't use paste some do.only after honing.Please clear this up for me or at least give me something to go on..............Thanks..........Jim C.

Here's Josh's tutorial for pasting a strop, it should clear it up. When I've pasted my strop, with .5 diamond, it was allowed 2 days to dry, I'm not sure if it's necessary to wait that long, but that's what I did.

[jwoods]

Originally Posted by Seraphim

Don't forget to suck in the gut!

And dont forget to pay attention to what your doing, you would look pretty silly if you sliced yourself looking all cool in front of her

[gssixgun]

Originally Posted by driver/examiner

Could somebody please tell me the proper way to apply paste to the linen side of a strop and how long one should wait before using the pasted side.Some say they don't use paste some do.only after honing.Please clear this up for me or at least give me something to go on..............Thanks..........Jim C.

If this is your everyday strop I would not paste it at all, but if you insist the Dovo white paste is good stuff and I would wait 24 hours.... White chalk can be used, soap can be used too, these are all options that I don't use....
I just use a brand new stiff nylon brush on mine to clean it out about every 6 months. Thanks to the wife, I have to buy a brand new nylon scrub brush every 6 months, she always seem to find mine, no matter how well I hide it....

[thebigspendur]

Originally Posted by icedog

With the proper technique and stance, stropping in front of the partner makes you look really cool and sexy.

Especially if you do it commando style.