General Question of Stropping and Honing my Dovo

C

chopsicle

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Oct 22, 2012
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So I've been shaving with a straight razor for a while but am pretty new to honing, and I recently changed my stropping technique. I'm currently using a Norton 4000/8000 combo stone followed by a hanging leather strop with the Dovo black (I believe polishing) paste. Between hones I just stick with the black paste on leather. Do you guys think this is adequate, or should I really try to get a stropping in on unpasted leather too?


Thanks,
Brandon
 
I would have stropped on nonslurry leather as this gives a finer edge. My preference is to lay the leather on a hard flat surface for stropping as this reduces convexing. DM
 
are you stropping on compound between every shave? I just strop on clean leather between shaves and that is enough. Each to his own though.
I don't worry about any convexing on my blades, its going to happen at a microscopic level.
How often are you honing? how are your shaves?
 
Stropping on plain leather between shaves has always worked for me.
I also don't see the need for honing a razor very often.
 
Thanks so much for the replies. I had pasted my strop before buying a stone with the hope that dovo red on the linen (i think this may have been a poor decision) and black on the leather would be enough for me to strop my razor back to the sharpness I wanted. No success there. I don't really feel like I need a pasted leather strop anymore, but am trying to figure out if I should really go buy a new plain one...

I've honed it twice now, about a month apart. I know I don't need to hone this often, but as I'm still getting the hang of it, I needed to touch up the razor after the first attempt.

My shaves are good. I think I'm just a little frustrated that I can't get my razor hair-splitting sharp.

Thanks again guys.
 
Some razors, or some hair, just won't split, so don't worry about it too much. if you are getting good shaves, then its all you need. straight shaving and honeing is a long learning curve (learning both at the same time makes it even longer), so it will get even better. If funds are a concern, then don't worry too much, but put the pennies aside and you'll be able to get yourself something down the road.
 
Just purchase a suitable piece of leather at a shoe shop or saddle makers shop and make a strop. Or spray some WD-40 on a cloth and wipe off the slurry from your current strop. I usually honed my razor some every other month as a tune up. DM
 
Try doing your final strop on newspaper as this takes the edge finer than leather and gives a real nice sharp edge. Use a section with colored pictures and place the paper on a hard flat surface. Try using tape to set the bevel. DM
 
Thanks again, guys. I'm going to try WD-40 to clean my strop and go from there. One other question: I've got a couple nicks in my strop from when I was even less experienced. Is that something I need to worry about?

It's funny, I used to shave with this same razor and my barber honed it for me. When he went back to making music instead of cutting hair, I couldn't find anybody else who did a good job and went back to cartridges. I had forgotten how much more enjoyable, how and how much better of I shave I got, when using a straight razor.
 
Your welcome. Thats a common malady of a new stropper. It depends on how bad the nick or slice is and its location. At the end wouldn't be so bad. I'd get it cleaned up first, then use a finger drop of mink oil on the nick and rub it in to see if this may help to diminish it. I wouldn't buy another strop until you got good at it. DM
 
The goal of honing should always be a good shave. Do not worry about splitting hairs or other "tests".

However, have you ever tried a professionally honed razor so you have basis for comparison? Sometimes it is nice to have an extra calibration point or two.
 
The purpose of stropping on leather between shaves isn't to sharpen or put a finer edge on your razor. During the shave, the micro fin on the cutting edge gets bent and rounded. Stropping simply realignes the fin to restore the keenness to the razor. Also stropping on a hanging strop is preferred for razors. You want a convex edge. The convex edge makes the shave smoother and less irritating on the skin. This has been proven in the Iwasaki kamisori sharpening Manuel.
 
I respectfully disagree, as you can see discoloration building on a strop. This in not from merely straightening the metal fins. Metal is being removed. Plus, my preference in toward a deep hollow grind as this cuts better. Thinking remains different in America. DM
 
On a bare strop? The dark you see is oxidation from the razor. It polishes the razor and cleans it up but is no real abrasive. This is all info u can get on srp
 
And I didn't mean a convex grind. Of course a hollow grind is best for razors. I mean convexing of the actual cutting edge is a good thing.
 
Leethal Cutlery said:
And I didn't mean a convex grind. Of course a hollow grind is best for razors. I mean convexing of the actual cutting edge is a good thing.
Click to expand...

i would disagree there, by convexing, you need to gradually raise the spine- and when the shoulders of the hollow arent abraded as much as the edge, your angle gets a bit steeper each time you hone.
convexing only really helps in some applications- razors not being one- but thats my opinion
 
Before we derail the gentleman's tread, any talk of what is happening when stropping on bare leather is conjecture. Until someone gets large scanning electron microscope photos of a razor before, during, and after stropping, we are just guessing. The "fin" theory comes from old manufacturers instructions. Those instructions advocated owning several razors to rotate. I wonder why? (not that they would....lie)
There are as many methods as there are shavers, do what makes you happy.
 
Good call. If desired we can start another thread to discuss studies on stropping done by the scientific community. There is much conjecture and lore about this poorly understood process. Repeating forum info is dangerous policy and potentially adds to myth.
 
Derail away. I really appreciate all the advice you guys offered, I'm going to try cleaning with a bit of mink oil and then just keep practicing. That being said, I certainly enjoy reading your discussions.

Thanks
 
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