Stropping for complete beginners

I thought this was a very good video from Razor Emporium. It first of all explains, very nicely, why you need to strop.

 

Loved the video. Great information.

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Really terrific information. Thanks for posting!

 

Great video. Every SR user should watch this.

 

There are so many great videos available on stropping...and just about anything related to straight razor shaving. This one by Razor Emporium is really good.

 

Cool video. Couldn't help but notice that the guys face looks crazy BBS. He must know a thing or two what he's talking about. It seems since starting DE shaving everytime I watch tv or a YouTube video I'm critiquing their shave lol

 

Yeah, me too

 

Here is one by a resident Guru/Honemeister, @gssixgun .

https://m.youtube.com/?#/watch?v=epnBjEKfFKc

 

My mother always warned me about joining a cult.

 

It's too late now. There is no way out!

 

Do you strop your razor immediately after your shave or just before your next shave? Really, I guess I'm asking if you think it makes any difference. Am I over thinking this?

 

Think about it: If you strop "after" it's also"before". Thus if you strop "before" it's also"after"

 

Both. Because, as it was explained to me, the post shave stropping takes all residual moisture off the blades edge, and straightened the dulled edge out. . And the stropping before the shave is, well, I don't think I was told why it's done then. All I know is that it is a good habit to get into, and a little extra leather work can't hurt. I do know I like starting with a Clean edge, and the stropping gets the oil off the edge, before I shave.
I oil the blade after each shave, because I live in humid Houston.

 

A lot of members seem to be moving away from safety razors and onto single edge/injectors or onto straight razors. I've been kind of tempted to get a straight razor just for fun but the thought of regularly stropping and eventually honing kind of puts me off. It already takes me a really long time to shave without stropping before and after.

It also doesn't seem like there's any alternative to leather strops. There was one vendor who used to produce synthetic strops but he seems to have stopped making them years ago. Anyhow, this was a good video so thanks for sharing.

 

I watched both videos before my shave and the subsequent stropping. Really helped to review the basics.

 

It's all part of the process. Once you become adept at it I'm sure the amount of time involved decreases. As far as using leather for stropping goes it just works and has since the very beginning. A fantastic material with many useful applications.

 

Straight shaving means different things to different people. It's a Big YMMV thing.
For me:
1. Sense of accomplishment. Very few people are capable of straight shaving anymore. It's almost a lost art.
2. It's even easier on the face than DE razors. For me, I get even less irritation, and I think possibly only 2 ingrown hairs in several months of daily straight shaving.. I Don't take into account for the few nicks I got when I started.
3. Honing for me is relaxing. Unless I get a problem blade. Is fun to figure out how to sharpen a problem blade that you can see that someone stopped using, and/or gave up on 80-150 years ago.
4. They just plain look cool.

 

For me, shaving isnt about how fast I can make the process, but how enjoyable.
I understand the time constraints of most mornings, but with practice, one can have a nice two to three pass SR shave in about 10 minutes.
I ensure I have enough time in the morning so to NOT have to rush—and enjoy the process.

 

My Martial Arts Teacher Always Said..Its Easy Once You Know How..SR Shaving is the Same..The Learning Curve can Take Some Time & then it Takes Very Little Time as it has Becomes Natural & Part of Everyday Life..The Learning is in the Practice...Shaving, Stropping & Honing..

Once You Know How..Its Easy..

Billy..