Thread: Strop mid-shave?

Does anyone else feel like they need to strop mid-shave?
Today I did my FIRST solely straight razor shave, with no DE touchups. For the past week, i have been slowly shaving more and more of my face withthe straight, as I get comfortable with it. Today, I did three full passes. W-X-A.
It's pretty good, nowhere near as good as I can get with a DE (though I know it will get there with practice). No blood, almost no irritation.

However, by the third pass, the blade was cutting noticeably less well. I had stropped thoroughly before the shave. My beard is pretty tough, but not fully wire-like. I was shaving with a Rup- sharpened DA. (Which started off the shave feeling much sharper and smoother than my first 'starter" razor that I got last week).
So, do I need a mid-shave strop?
Is my lather getting "old" maybe? Or perhaps the time out of the shower is letting my beard dry out and get tough again.

Occasionally I strop midshave when I realize I didn't strop enough before my shave

Never feel like the blade is dulling mid shave?

Yes, but that's when I figure I just didn't strop enough beforehand. It happens to me fairly often though... Maybe I need to experiment

AH, got it..."enough." That was a big word I missed when I read your post the first time. I thought you meant you forgot to strop before hand. Seemed like an odd step to forget. Makes much more sense now. No more posting before I've had a second cup of coffee in the morning.

if it keeps happening, I'll have to experiment with stainless steel 9holds an edge better). There is one custom maker (maybe more?) using S30V...assuming it can take a good shaving edge...it should be able to handle a six pass shave without dulling!

I just figured it out, the razor I have been using to shave, almost exclusively (there are days where I just don't have time and grab the triple blade disposable) for about 3.5 months. at first I didn't strop half-way, now there are days that I do, I'll do one side of the my handsome face then on the other it isn't feeling as sharp and I'll strop it. but this was only after it started to dull.

Red

I usually strop between passes. Not that I've ever really felt the need to...I do it just, well because I can Why not?

Jordan

I will strop occasionally mid shave. It is generally,at least IMO, an indication that the blade probably wasn't shave ready to begin with.It is a P.I.T.A.-but I keep a spare razor-stropped and ready to go.

I'd rather change razors than strop while wet and lathered up.

I strop between the first and second pass, I re-lather and let the lather soak in again while I go 20 laps... More for something to pass the time while the second lather does it's job... But hey remember that it is your face, your razor, and your strop so do what ya want!!!!!

When I am doing a test shave on a newly honed and stropped razor I may strop after the first pass if I feel it needs it. Alternatively I may hit it on Chrom ox on a loom strop. I only do it if the I feel it will improve the second pass. If that is the case I go back to the hones to further refine the edge as it hasn't passed the shave test for me.