One is always learning

Before anyone says anything like, that is common knowledge or that is a beginners learning point, hear me out a bit.

So I have a Hand American strop that is marked up on the lower right corner of the strop. Its a 2 1/2" strop and I do the X Pattern. I do well with my stropping, as I have been doing it for over 2 year. I was having a discussion with Scott (life2short1971) about the marking and he was convinced I was stropping the stabalizer at the heel end. I slowed down the stropping, and it does appear I have been doing this.

This lead to the discussion about honing as well. Some of the stabalizers of Mastro Livi's razors are quite large. Trying to get the entire edge of the blade can be a bit challenging. Lots of tape is required on any of his damascus metals in order not ot mark them up. The conversation again came up about how most edges dont require a full bevel along the edge or even sharpening. If you look at the blade, the part at the heel right before the curve up should be the stopping point of where you are establishing a bevel and polishing.

I think this epiphany will help me out a bit. Of course, im gonna have to "relearn" my stropping a bit. I will have to be mindful I am not marking up the strop, and am slowing down a bit. I will see if honing a Livi becomes a bit easier.

Again, most of you may know this, and this may be wrong or right in your opinion. This does make sense to me. How often are you shaving with the heel portion of the blade? Again, if I didnt know about it, I am sure at least one other person on the boards didnt as well.



Here is a very crude picture about what I was discussing. Everything to the right of the end of the piece of tape should not be worried about. Ill try to get some better pictures later.

I need the heel to cut whenever I have my goatee grown in, so I try to have an edge as close to the right side as I can. It's on the ATG stroke on the left edge of my goatee. I'll try tonite and contort a new stroke

I would try to get the part that the tape is covering. I would not worry about anything beyond that.

I hone and strop the entire beveled edge.

Remember, there is no rule that says you have to maintain the blade at exactly a 90 degree angle to the edge of the strop. You can lead with the nose a bit and get that last millimeter of edge without riding up on the stabilizer.

I have gotten into the habit of grinding the stabilizers and shoulders completely away if they trouble me. I don't care much what my razors look like. I like them to shave, with the entire edge of the blade, and shave well. I like them to be easy to hone and strop. I don't want to only have 70% of my blade ready to shave with. It's not a machete... it is a razor.

It would be nice if there were more shoulderless razors out there. Eventually, normal wear always brings stabilizers and shoulders into the plane of the bevel. It may take 50 years, but it will happen, with regular use.

danjared said:

I would try to get the part that the tape is covering. I would not worry about anything beyond that.

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If you read my post I had said everything to the right of the tape should be disregarded. I too would hone where the tape is.

It happens to me sometimes that the heel of the razor is not as sharp as other parts of the razor, but I never shave with the last 1/4-1/3, so I don't care. If the shave test is good, than I don't hone it more. If the shave test shows that the razor isn't good at the heel, than I go back to the hones. If I hone for someone else, than I hone the whole edge to shave readiness every time.

this had all really come about because of how I was marking up my strop. Hopefully I unlearn the stabalizer stripping.

IsaacRN said:

If you read my post I had said everything to the right of the tape should be disregarded. I too would hone where the tape is.

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Right, I was reaffirming what you said.