#1

That Bald Guy with the Big Beard
Bishop, CA
So, as I have shared previously, I am the proud new owner of a neat little sewing machine. I got it to make 1/10 scale military and off-road accessories for my RC club...tow straps, sleeping bags, PIAA light covers, Deuce-and-a-half transporter covers and what-not...These things are still works "in progress", and I posted a razor roll-up that I managed to piece together that I was kind of proud of.

The other night, I took some of the canvas material I had laying around, and decided to try and put together a strop of sorts. The canvas I used was not military grade, it was very finely woven. More coarse than a leather strop, but less than the cotton/linen. I made it double-layered, and used iron oxide 0.1 micron abrasive powder on one side, and left the other side clean.

The past 2 nights I have switched up my stropping routine. For the last few months I have been stropping 25 on linen/ 25 on leather, and had very decent shaves. The last 2 nights, I have used razors that were just starting to get tuggy on their previous shaves. I stropped 15 on linen, 25 on iron oxide fine canvas, and 25 on clean fine canvas.

The last 2 shaves were easily the closest shaves I have ever had, and extremely comfortable. The edges were simply fantastic! Zero tug, in fact, they were both gliding so effortlessly through the hair, I was literally in shock. After 2 passes, WTG/XTG, I felt like I could have happily stopped there, for the first time with a traditional straight. I didn't of course, because I like my really smooth head, so a third pass was utilized despite not being truly necessary. I just like to be as smooth as possible...

Over the next few nights, I will be using the same fine canvas strop, with and without abrasive, as my pre-shave strop. I want to see just how effective this fine canvas can be at smoothing my edges for every shave.

caleb31, drjenkins and grayhane like this post
-Chris~Head Shaver~
#2

Member
Idaho Falls, Idaho
Be careful. Those things are sharp! I'll be watching to see what you find out.

BadDad likes this post
#3

That Bald Guy with the Big Beard
Bishop, CA
OK, so a week's worth of shaves, every night a different blade, same stropping pattern: 25 on FeOx/25 on fine canvas. This has been the routine with near wedge, hollow, extra hollow, and half hollow blades this week. Twice, after the fine canvas, I stropped 25 laps on leather.

This has been the best week of shaves I have ever had. Every single shave this week was ridiculously close and comfortable, and the every blade just mowed down the head stubble, with no effort. The 2 times I stropped 25 laps on leather were both insignificantly LESS pleasant than the other shaves. I would not be able to pick out whether a blade was finished on leather after the fine canvas, unless I already knew about it, but when I knew it was stropped on leather, it felt less keen than the previous night's shave with just the fine canvas strop.

I don't know what this means, other than I will continue to strop with 25 laps on FeOx pasted fine canvas and finish on clean fine canvas with 25 laps, at least until I become bored with the routine, and find another new and exciting way to change things up...

It may be nothing, it may be something, and I may be crazy, but it all works for me, and keeps me happy, and keep things interesting...

Feel free to try it out, or ignore me completely as you wish Wink

Lipripper660 likes this post
-Chris~Head Shaver~


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