Hand Stropping DE Blades

That makes two of us in camp #3. Hand stropping has not only improved my shaves but has more than doubled the life of my blades. I get 14 great shaves from a yellow 7 O'Clock DE and 7 just as marvelous shaves from a Ted Pella GEM SE blade.

 

You look surprised Rocketman. But I get these results on a consistent basis. On occasion I will get one blade that does not last quite that long so I just pitch it. I have even had, just like most of us, a bad blade right out of the box. That one goes in the razor bank quickly too.

I can't explain it. Maybe it is my beard not being a rough and tough one like a lot of guys. But I will stand by my statement of the number of shaves I get out of a blade. As long as I get those results I see no need to trash a blade after 3, 4, 5 shaves.

Despite my success with blade longevity I don't expect everyone to get those results. YMMV and of course DE blades are cheap so why push ones luck.

 

Yup. Just because I don't want to have to remember when I put a fresh blade in and how many times I've used it, I put in a new DE blade every Monday morning, use it in a different razor every day until Friday, then toss it. A new SE goes in the first Sunday of the month. I use it just on Sundays, toss it after the last Sunday. All blades get hand stropped before every use. I have no doubt I could get more shaves per blade, but.... did I mention that I don't have to remember when I put a blade in or how many times I've used it? can't remember

 

Excellent point Steve. I do have a chart with the type blade hanging inside my medicine cabinet with a list of my razors, creams/soaps, and blade types that I mark before each shave. Only way I can remember. In fact I even have my name printed on the top of the sheet so I can remember my name from day to day!

If I was shaving in rotation like you do or was just using one type of razor and blade then I can see your method being one that I would use. For most guys I think that your system is the way to go.

Glad to see that you recognize the benefits of the hand stropping before or after a shave. I think that is what gives my blade such longevity. But who really knows for sure about that.

 

I hand strop before each shave. I was getting quite a bit of life out of my blades when I was shaving my whole face with hand stropped blades. Now that I'm only shaving my neck, blades just last and last.

I've never bothered to keep track of how many shaves I can get out of a blade, so I can't give any hard numbers.

 

Two things from me:

Yep Possum - that was surprise!! 14 shaves from a 7'o is outstanding!! I can get close to 7 on a TP myself on occasion (well solidly 5, or at times 6) so a little less surprised there. I will try out the hand stropping of a TP because I am running low on TP's and need to stretch out time with the remaining ones!! I am going to order 200 soon which will set me up for a while.

My surprise was more my cheap Scottish side saying YOWSER - COOL!!! It wasn't disbelief.


And remembering what is up with any particular blade - Ha!!!! I am getting really, really crappy at that!! A system would be useful, but I tend to forget to use it! Seriously! This aging thing has me worried. I am going to be one of those dumb old farts at the check out line that every body hopes would just stay home!! "How much was that again sweetie??" "Is that two dimes or just a nickel?"

I can never keep such a strategy as the two illustrated here. I am glad they work for you guys though. I just can't seem to decide which razor to use until the last minute! No planning, just some strange kind of last second rushed decision! Oh well. It provides some interesting moments. "Is this blade too dull? Owww it sure seems to pull?? Didn't I just put this in yesterday? Oww. No..... It seems to be working pretty good.........OWWWW. Crap. Mumble mumble, mumble.....must be time to change the blade! Darn"

That is how many of my mornings go. Sad I know. But, just prey you don't find me in front of you in your grocer some ten or fifteen years from now!!

That is the long way around to - ok, I will check out the hand stropping again. (When I remember!)

 

How exactly do you hand strop a DE blade?

Chip

 

The Rollshaver method: http://www.theshaveden.com/forum/showthread.php?t=10716

The D.irving79 method: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ogq4wfpT7hc

 

Yep, I palm strop (what hand stropping is actually called) after each shave then go to a new blade after the 3rd shave. It really does clean the cutting edge and smooth out any imperfections after each shave. It won't get you 50 smooth shaves but it definitely works for the first 4, 5 maybe 6 shaves. Some people also run their blades through cork or styrofoam. Same principle.. to smooth out any imperfections.

 

I've joined the palm stroppers club as well and while I can't prove anything my tiny brain thinks it works

 

Thanks, that helps!

Chip

 

Hi all, has anyone heard of stropping a DE Blade on the inside of a glass ? If so please expand on this method. What tools can you get today that will strop DE Blades. I've been using Feathers 4 times and then tossing the blade. I would like to strop as I think it might help the # 3 and the # 4 shave smoother. Thanks to all

 

I've heard of it. Never done it or seen it.

 

yes, I have heard of it. I don't do it, though so I can't explain it. I found an illustrated article outside TSD by doing a google search for glass stropping.

 

Just FYI, not just any glass will work. I know it was a very common practice back in the day, and straight cylindrical is vital but if the I.D. is not right, or the blade not held at the right tension, you can rub inside a glass til the cows come home to roost and never touch the cutting edges to the glass. Like I said, just FYI and something about mileage.

 

The jury (as if there really is one) is still out on whether stropping stainless blades makes any difference. Personally I think it'd be minor at best due to the innate hardness of the steel, but others swear by it, as seen above. In any event, I try not to argue with other people's experiences I haven't had, so I don't doubt them.

From personal experience I can assure you that carbon blades, on the other hand, definitely benefit from it -- just as straight razors do -- making for more and smoother shaves. How MANY more shaves? Dunno, I haven't set out to test that. And how many of us use carbon blades anyway these days? Very, very few.

I am unable to do the geometrical calculations required to locate the exact right drinking glass to pull off efficient drinking glass-stropping, so instead I have obtained various glass and oxide hones designed just for razor blades, plus a very nice SE/DE blade strop set (leather strop and special handles for the blades) which I absolutely swear by and use often.

I say all that to humbly suggest, as one who strops, that you may want to try hand stropping (or pant-leg stropping, even) pretty consistently for awhile to see if you notice any improvement in shave quality and/or longevity of stropped blades. If you do find you notice improvement, then you may want to look further into what devices are still available to improve your shave experience. If you jump into it now without having tested anything, you may find you're wasting your money, even if it's just on a tumbler.