Dovo razors strops and  accessories - get your Dovo razor here!

 

 

Dovo razors strops and  accessories - get your Dovo razor here!

 

The above drawing is from a DOVO catalogue and should help when we’re talking about caring for your razor. In fact, apart making sure your straight razor is clean and dry after use, there are only two tasks that you’re ever likely to perform. These are stropping (frequent) and honing (infrequent). We’ll look first at stropping.

Caring for your straight razor - stropping

A straight razor should be stropped before each use, and some people advocate stropping again half-way through a shave. The strop pictured below is a hanging strop made from high-quality cowhide. The round ring is used to hang the strop on a coat hook or similar, then the strop is pulled taut by grasping the rectangular handle at the other end. The razor is stroked from the bottom to the top and back again, with the edge trailing, at right-angles to the length of the strop. At the end of each stroke the blade is not lifted from the strop but rolled around the axis of the back of the blade before commencing the next stroke.

You’ve maybe seen old films where barbers strop blades like they were buttering bread. This is fine if you want a blunt edge! The rolling action takes a little getting used to but take it slowly -it’s not a race - and a little practice will soon have you stropping like a pro. You don’t need to apply much pressure but ensure that the back and edge of the blade keep in contact with the strop at all times. About 20-30 strokes should be enough, with last few using the lightest contact possible.

 

On the following page we’ll take a look at honing your straight razor.

‘Premier Rindleder’ razor strop, finest cowhide. Swivel top ring.  Order this by clicking here.