Stropping on news paper???

[mstrunck]

Hi,

Just saw a video on youtube with a guy advocating using news paper as a strop for his beginner friend. The motivation being not to rush into buying a lot of stuff to get going straight razor shaving.

Any views on this?

Ohh.... I have ordered a strop from Neil, just interested to get an experienced take on this concept. Even if it might do for touching up the edge with chrome oxide (once that time comes)

/Max

 

[Pig Cat]

I've heard of this method too. Newspaper is often used for cleaning windows so must have some mild abrasive quality. I don't doubt that in older times when a leather strop wasn't available people would improvise with other materials.

 

[Arrowhead]

Yep, I do this as an adjunct to honing rather than as a means of routine maintenance. Very effective for calming down a snappish edge, and it tends to take the HHT up a notch or so. Neil has some very interesting theories about this, and he inclines to the view that newsprint ain't what it used to be because of the lack of lead in the ink (there's an interesting subject ...).

Though I've heard of people improvising hanging strops, my method is to tape down three layers of paper to a flat board. The technique is probably best thought of as high speed honing in reverse. I see no reason not to try it with chrome oxide as well, though a piece of balsa or similar would do just as well for that. Cotton based paper has been used with positive results by the way, the effect being more like a fabric strop.

 

[asharperrazor]

I think the underlying theory is sound. Rushing into buying a strop and then quitting two shaves later is a huge waste of money.

Stropping on newspaper will not supplant leather. However, it is many times better than nothing. I'd probably say its closest "cousin" is linen. It is theorized that the ink used has some abrasive qualities. Either case, its not leather, but its better than no stropping.

As for crox, using newspaper as a crox medium is not a bad idea. I should start recommending that to people without two strops. However, it does waste the crox unless you re-use the paper.