Thread: What does Stropping Do?

I know you hone the razor to sharpen it, but it is my understanding that stropping it doesn't sharpen blade any. So, Really, what does stropping the blade really do?

Here is my thought on that, to which anyone should correct me if I am wrong here. I am thinking that although stropping doesn't really sharpen the blade; doesn't it make it "smoother" to shave with?

It helps prepare the razor for a better shave. Maybe it doesn't sharpen the blade by certain technical definitions, but a stropped blade cuts the beard more efficiently and effectively than an unstropped blade so I say it does make it sharper

Stropping burnishes the razor's bevel (or bevels, as some folks like to say) - perhaps by clearing off impurities such as oxidation. Why this makes the shave more comfortable I am not sure

My understanding is that since the edge of a SR is so fine, it's subject to distortion during the shave. Stropping helps to remedy this.

As i understand it a razor has micro serrations or little teeth, those little get bent outta shape from use stropping brings those teeth back where they belong

Originally Posted by JCummins

I know you hone the razor to sharpen it, but it is my understanding that stropping it doesn't sharpen blade any. So, Really, what does stropping the blade really do?

It depends on what is meant by sharpness. It doesn't remove enough steel to affect the thickness of the edge. It however removes oxidation and it realigns the steel (there's no teeth, but the edge still gets deformed during shaving).

This reduces the resistance in cutting hair, so it is sharpening, just not purely geometrical, but functional sharpness.

Originally Posted by gugi

It depends on what is meant by sharpness. It doesn't remove enough steel to affect the thickness of the edge. It however removes oxidation and it realigns the steel (there's no teeth, but the edge still gets deformed during shaving).

This reduces the resistance in cutting hair, so it is sharpening, just not purely geometrical, but functional sharpness.

Im not sure where I heard that tooth thing but thanks for clearing that up..... ya im new

I question whether stropping straightens "teeth" on an edge, and favor the theory that it actually cleans off corruption and then does remove a small amount of metal and sharpens. But, let's say that an edge does have misaligned "teeth" and stropping does straighten them. That is sharpening.

No matter how you cut it -and I think it is obvious from many conversations on this topic, that we can't be dogmatic - stropping does produce an edge that experientially does seem sharper.

We usually say stopping dresses the edge which probably best describes the process.

Technically many things you do to an edge are forms of sharpening but practically they are not.

On one of the coffee forums I belong to someone used an electron microscope to compare how different grinders ground coffee (for anyone not familiar with espresso; grinders and grind consistency are probably the most important part of the process). Has anyone ever thought/had access to look at the differences of a blade before and after stropping it via a microscope?

I just did a new Beginners Tips about stropping not quite exactly what you were asking but a good read

http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...ch-2011-a.html


One thing that has come up in past discussions is that much of what we believe is going on with stropping is rather hard to prove...
Here are some facts though... Disposable and DE blade manufacturers spend money on research, and application of high tech coatings, to make their edge more comfortable...
We know if stropping does nothing else, is does burnish the bevel and edge. We know that helps with comfort when shaving, essentially we "re-coat" our edge with a special slick coating just like the manufacturers do every day with our strops... Even if it does nothing else I am good with just more comfort for my shave