Thread: Can I lay a hanging strop on a hard flat surface?

Originally Posted by realdog4

Thanks guys. I always value your input. I sometimes ask questions that seem fairly intuitive but I rather be safe than sorry.

Take care,
Jason

I learned a long time ago in the Navy: The only stupid question is the one you don't ask.

No problem with a strop on a flat surface, you just made a really big paddle strop :-). Everyone's preference will be different, but I started with just running hot water to rinse. I put a very tiny chip in the blade with the faucet. Small enough that it took a jeweler's loupe to see it, but I was horrified on the new razor. I honed it out easily but wanted a another way to clean the blade. I went to a cloth like a barber does, but I was cleaning the cloth a lot. Then I saw a guy on a video using a sponge. I picked up a 3 dollar sponge at the supermarket and the sponge works great.

So now I clean the blade using a large round sponge. I have also been working hard to get both hands working well and I feel a little more secure cleaning the blade with the non-dominant hand using the sponge. It was 'leftie' who touched the faucet for the tiny chip. The sponge is better for me.

Best,

Ed

criswilson10, what are you talking about? You strop your razor on a leather strop before & after you shave. I don't understand what you're saying. You don't strop it on a towel.

The OP asked two questions:

1- one about cleaning the blade while shaving,

2- the other about putting the strop on a horizontal surface.


Ed

Originally Posted by engine46

criswilson10, what are you talking about? You strop your razor on a leather strop before & after you shave. I don't understand what you're saying. You don't strop it on a towel.

He uses a stropping action on the towel to clean off the lather. I do this at the end of a shave, prior to stropping. I also just delather my razor during the shave on my forearm. I never rinse my razor, but that is just me.

Ok, I can understand that. He just has his wording messed up where I couldn't understand. Thank you! Sorry Cris.

I use a sponge so no extra water is required, less chance of wetting the pivot or dinging the blade near the sink

Before I switched to a paddle strop I would use a spring clamp to secure the strop to the counter and apply enough tension to keep it flat. My stropping results improved immediately.

Clearing lather - I have such acute "razordinkaphobia" that I use a damp washcloth with a one third fold, hinge side to the counter. I remove most of the lather with the afore mentioned stropping action. For safety I close the razor between passes so I clear the blade with a single sheet of bath (toilet) tissue before closing. Re-lather then fold another third to expose a clean surface and continue. One final rinse with hot water.

If you are old enough to have had a shave or had your neck and hairline edged with a "real" straight you will have noted that the barber never turned to the sink. My Uncle and Grandfather would have a barbers towel, either on their shoulder on on yours on top of the drape. Every turn and step was extra time.

For me this was one of the changes that helped me learn to use a straight. The pause to rise breaks the rhythm (for me)

And ultimately you do what works best for you.

For me - each time I make that first ATG pass starting at the base of my neck - I am 10 years old again, and that sensation reminds me of my Uncle shaving the back of my neck, and I do not have to be told to be still...

Smooth shaving my Brothers...

Yes you can but the hard part is holding it flat with all the hardware and secondary strop if it has one.
I use a length of Para cord looped around an open doorknob this will put your strop at waist level.

I also rinse the blade with running water and wipe with a microfiber towel or just use a damp microfiber towel. A dry Micro fiber will also keep your hands, scales and tang completely dry during the shave, keeping water out of the pivot.

At the end of the shave, I do 2-3 hot water rinses and wipes with the microfiber, it will remove 99 percent of the soap, skin, hair and blood from the bevel and edge, just be careful wiping the edge.

I buy microfibers in bulk at big box stores for less than a dollar, (12 buck for 15 or 16) toss them in the wash with your towels and you will always have a pile of them ready to go. After a few washes they get more absorbent.

I also use a high goose neck sink faucet, getting the faucet well away of the area where most accidents happen. A 200 dollar investment will save many a razor and they look nice.

I have hung a strop on a doorknob as well until I got my loom strop.