First Strop and Hone

[loueedacat]

What would be a good first strop and hone? I think I'll stick at this, so I'm not necessarily looking for a cheap one that I'll want to replace in a month, but rather a decent one I'll keep for a while but that is suitable for someone starting out that can't necessarily appreciate the best stuff.

[Suzuki]

Forget the hone to start - go with a pasted paddle (with diamond and or chromium oxide abrasive pastes) for touching up the blade sharpness and a hanging strop for daily stropping.

If you want to stick to a budget, you can get a 4-sided paddle, put pastes on 3 sides and have a plain leather side for daily stropping.

Look no further than Tony Miller's handmade strops:

http://thewellshavedgentleman.com/

The best thing is that his less expensive hanging strops (the starter strop or original models) are made with the same quality leather and work every bit as well as the more expensive models. If you do decide to spring for one of his Artisan or Paragon strops, you can get a practice strop for only $6.50 extra - that way you can practice your stropping without ruining your "good strop".

Tony's strops are just so much better than anything else you can buy - including strops that cost much more money - they're the only strops I suggest to newbies or anyone looking for a new strop.

Hope this helps.

[joel]

Forget the hone to start - go with a pasted paddle (with diamond and or chromium oxide abrasive pastes) for touching up the blade sharpness and a hanging strop for daily stropping.

If you want to stick to a budget, you can get a 4-sided paddle, put pastes on 3 sides and have a plain leather side for daily stropping.

Look no further than Tony Miller's handmade strops:

http://thewellshavedgentleman.com/

The best thing is that his less expensive hanging strops (the starter strop or original models) are made with the same quality leather and work every bit as well as the more expensive models. If you do decide to spring for one of his Artisan or Paragon strops, you can get a practice strop for only $6.50 extra - that way you can practice your stropping without ruining your "good strop".

Tony's strops are just so much better than anything else you can buy - including strops that cost much more money - they're the only strops I suggest to newbies or anyone looking for a new strop.

Hope this helps.

I couldn't agree with this more! Pasted paddle strops are REALLY a life saver, and are a superlative deal!

[loueedacat]

Guys, thank you both for taking the time to pass that on. I'll follow that advice.

Which are Tony's "starter strops"? I can't find anything by that name on his website store. Is it this one (or do I need to hunt through his ebay listings)?:

New Heirloom Artisan "Original" Latigo Hanging Strop

My Original, Heirloom 2 1/2" hanging razor strop, now in Heirloom Latigo leather for superior draw! Our first strop model and still a favorite!

$49.95


And I presume I should get the four sided paddle strop from Tony's website too?

And one more question: what brand paste should I get and where should I get it? classicshaving or somewhere else?

[joel]

Guys, thank you both for taking the time to pass that on. I'll follow that advice.

Which are Tony's "starter strops"? I can't find anything by that name on his website store. Is it this one (or do I need to hunt through his ebay listings)?:

New Heirloom Artisan "Original" Latigo Hanging Strop

My Original, Heirloom 2 1/2" hanging razor strop, now in Heirloom Latigo leather for superior draw! Our first strop model and still a favorite!

$49.95


And I presume I should get the four sided paddle strop from Tony's website too?

And one more question: what brand paste should I get and where should I get it? classicshaving or somewhere else?

Hey bud - THIS (http://shop.thewellshavedgentleman.com/product.sc?categoryId=2&productId=101) is the starter strop Chris was referencing, however what I'd do is purchase THIS (http://shop.thewellshavedgentleman.com/product.sc?categoryId=4&productId=125) which has FOUR sides - as you can have three sides pasted (3 micron diamond, 1 micron diamond and .5 micron green chrome) and the fourth side leave unpasted, for your daily stropping! HERE (http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?p=348165#post348165) is a post showing my pasted paddle strop in use, what it looks like, and a step by step in how to use it!

Hope this helps!!

[loueedacat]

Hey bud - THIS (http://shop.thewellshavedgentleman.com/product.sc?categoryId=2&productId=101) is the starter strop Chris was referencing, however what I'd do is purchase THIS (http://shop.thewellshavedgentleman.com/product.sc?categoryId=4&productId=125) which has FOUR sides - as you can have three sides pasted (3 micron diamond, 1 micron diamond and .5 micron green chrome) and the fourth side leave unpasted, for your daily stropping! HERE (http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?p=348165#post348165) is a post showing my pasted paddle strop in use, what it looks like, and a step by step in how to use it!

Hope this helps!!

AWESOME!! Thanks. Very helpful.

[iron maiden]

This is interesting....since I just ordered one of Tony's $30 hanging strops, I think I'd want the 4 sided paddle with all 4 sides being pasted. Now, I wonder which pastes to use? (3, 1, .5 DIAMOND, AND .5 GREEN?)

[jlander]

This is interesting....since I just ordered one of Tony's $30 hanging strops, I think I'd want the 4 sided paddle with all 4 sides being pasted. Now, I wonder which pastes to use? (3, 1, .5 DIAMOND, AND .5 GREEN?)

That's what I got and I love it.

[loueedacat]

Mine arrived last night and I of course used it immediately, and it is AWESOME. Thanks for the tip Joel.

[ScottS]

I'm split between a Paddle strop and a scary sharp system. How often do you need to repaste the strop, as the paste seem to be a substantial part of the cost of the scary sharp.

[joel]

I'm split between a Paddle strop and a scary sharp system. How often do you need to repaste the strop, as the paste seem to be a substantial part of the cost of the scary sharp.

The scary sharps don't do much for me, and using the sticky papers of yore is miserable.

You don't need to re-apply diamond paste much at all... provided you have just a few razors (7 or so) you'd probably never need to re-paste it. I hone/touch up literally a hundred + of razors before I need to repaste. When the paddle is full of metal filings, simply wipe it a few times with a dry paper towel, and you're good to go. Since the diamonds are impregnated into the leather - it really takes a lot to get 'em all to fall out.

Suffice to say - if you own a few straight razors, especially if they show up pre-honed, you'd probably never need to re-paste the strop, and you'd probably never need to touch a hone.

I've gone a year using a razor 8 out of 10 times I shaved (quite a few years ago) ONLY using a pasted strop to touch it up, and I never needed to take the razor to a hone - or felt as if it would benefit from a trip on the hone. To this day, I still have that Dovo Genuine MOP razor, and I shave with it from time to time - and it's never seen a hone since the day it arrived at my door and it's probably seen at least 400 shaves, so I don't buy into the whole "you need a hone" business.

Of course, YMMV and all that jazz, but if the razor is honed CORRECTLY from the get go, and you have a good bevel, you don't need more than pastes - period.

If you're game - we can embark on an experiment. Buy a good quality new razor (I can help you choose one), i'll hone it up for you gratis - and pick up a Tony Miller 4 sided paddle strop. Use it, and when it starts to show signs of losing its keeness, touch it up with the paddle strop - and see how long it takes. IF it ever gets to a point whereby the paddle won't do the job, which it won't - i'll hone it up for you again (gratis), and keep honing it for you (gratis) whenever needed, for however long you own the razor - that's how confident I am you won't need it :wink:

If you're interested shoot me a PM, and we can discuss the details.

[ScottS]

Thanks Joel!

That's very generous! I'm still hemming and hawing, but I think I'll get a shave ready Dovo from Tony Miller when he restocks them next week. People sure do speak highly of those paddle strops, though. I think I'd feel really silly if I went the HA way and ended up not caring for it.

Which grits do I get, by the way?

[gglockner]

I'm split between a Paddle strop and a scary sharp system. How often do you need to repaste the strop, as the paste seem to be a substantial part of the cost of the scary sharp.

My pasted strop lasted about a year and a half. I don't use it all of the time, but it will last for a very long time. Mine came with 1.0, .5, .25 & red latigo which makes a nice travel strop. Any higher grit and they go to the hone. Which by the way there are several very nice old barber hones on the bay right now.

Glen

[TENroaches]

The scary sharps don't do much for me, and using the sticky papers of yore is miserable.

You don't need to re-apply diamond paste much at all... provided you have just a few razors (7 or so) you'd probably never need to re-paste it. I hone/touch up literally a hundred + of razors before I need to repaste. When the paddle is full of metal filings, simply wipe it a few times with a dry paper towel, and you're good to go. Since the diamonds are impregnated into the leather - it really takes a lot to get 'em all to fall out.

Suffice to say - if you own a few straight razors, especially if they show up pre-honed, you'd probably never need to re-paste the strop, and you'd probably never need to touch a hone.

I've gone a year using a razor 8 out of 10 times I shaved (quite a few years ago) ONLY using a pasted strop to touch it up, and I never needed to take the razor to a hone - or felt as if it would benefit from a trip on the hone. To this day, I still have that Dovo Genuine MOP razor, and I shave with it from time to time - and it's never seen a hone since the day it arrived at my door and it's probably seen at least 400 shaves, so I don't buy into the whole "you need a hone" business.

Of course, YMMV and all that jazz, but if the razor is honed CORRECTLY from the get go, and you have a good bevel, you don't need more than pastes - period.

If you're game - we can embark on an experiment. Buy a good quality new razor (I can help you choose one), i'll hone it up for you gratis - and pick up a Tony Miller 4 sided paddle strop. Use it, and when it starts to show signs of losing its keeness, touch it up with the paddle strop - and see how long it takes. IF it ever gets to a point whereby the paddle won't do the job, which it won't - i'll hone it up for you again (gratis), and keep honing it for you (gratis) whenever needed, for however long you own the razor - that's how confident I am you won't need it :wink:

If you're interested shoot me a PM, and we can discuss the details.

This thread is very helpful. Just so I'm clear: Using a paddle strop is okay for everyday use? I think I read somewhere, or someone told me in a thread here on over at SRP or maybe even in a PM, that you want a hanging strop for everyday use and paddle is okay for travel. (NEVER MIND. I found a thread specifically about this topic.)

I like the idea of the four-sized paddle. Is there a special way you should store these so no damage is done to the sides? Maybe just wrap a towel around it and keep it in the closet?

Also, if I've never pasted a strop, would it be smarter, and hopefully even cheaper, to order a paddle strop already pasted?

Tony's site says: "Sold un-pasted for use with pastes of your choice or also available pre-pasted through the options below with 3.0, 1.0, 0.5 and 0.25 Amplex Diamond Compounds or 0.5 micron Chromium Oxide." What would be good choices for three pasted sides?

Thanks

[MD112A319]

for daily stropping.

Look no further than Tony Miller's handmade strops:

http://thewellshavedgentleman.com/


Just ordered one of these in 3" and with real linen which I plan to use as my daily strope. Then my Dovo strope that I already ordered from before with some red paste will be for keeping the edge sharp.

[Suzuki]

This thread is very helpful. Just so I'm clear: Using a paddle strop is okay for everyday use? I think I read somewhere, or someone told me in a thread here on over at SRP or maybe even in a PM, that you want a hanging strop for everyday use and paddle is okay for travel. (NEVER MIND. I found a thread specifically about this topic.)

I like the idea of the four-sized paddle. Is there a special way you should store these so no damage is done to the sides? Maybe just wrap a towel around it and keep it in the closet?

Also, if I've never pasted a strop, would it be smarter, and hopefully even cheaper, to order a paddle strop already pasted?

Tony's site says: "Sold un-pasted for use with pastes of your choice or also available pre-pasted through the options below with 3.0, 1.0, 0.5 and 0.25 Amplex Diamond Compounds or 0.5 micron Chromium Oxide." What would be good choices for three pasted sides?

Thanks

Most folks prefer a hanging strop with linen and leather for daily stropping - but that's all it is, a preference. A longer strop means less trips/laps. Paddle strops work just as well, as they use the same leather, you just may need to make more trips on the strop to compensate for the fact they are shorter. The advantages of the paddle over the hanging strops are that (i) you don't have to worry about putting the right amount of tension on the strop and (ii) you don't have to worry about cupping.

As for storing the paddle, you can hang it on a hook in the bathroom or store it in the heavy plastic sleeve that Tony ships it in (I store it in the sleeve standing on the flat end). Alternately, a piece of PVC tube (or something similar) would work well - you don't want to wrap it in a towel as it could rub off the pastes, which could result in contamination - in that you could inadvertently rub the paste from a coarser side onto a finer pasted side or the plain leather, which would be a problem. The More I think about it, the more I like the idea of a piece of PVC or some other tubing that the paddle fits into with just enough clearance so the corners touch - that way you don't have to worry about rubbing off the paste or contamination - also pretty cheap.

I would order the strop pre-pasted as it save you having to order a bunch of abrasive pastes. Tony's good about getting the right amount of paste on the paddle and applying it evenly. You'll eventually need to get some abrasive paste, but likely only one or two at a time, as you'll find you use the finer grits (0.5 microns and lower) more frequently than the coarser (3 and 1microns)

For the three pasted sides, you could do any of the following:

1) 1, 0.5 and 0.25 micron diamond pastes

2) 1, 0.5 micron diamond pastes and 0.5 chromium oxide

3) 3, 1 micron diamond pastes and 0.5 chromium oxide

The chromium is supposedly (I've not used it, but plan to try it some day) able to produce a "smoother" edge than the .05 diamond - but others may have more to say on this than I do.

The 0.25 micron puts an ultra sharp edge on - some people think its too much, again see what others have to say about this.

Finally, you might want to consider getting the finest side or two sides on balsa wood - there's less give than leather and it supposedly helps with the finer pastes (I use balsa with the 0.25 micron diamond paste - based on Tony's suggestion).

I would definitely see what others have to say and talk to Tony, who will help set you up right.

I'm actually considering getting one of his wide 2-sided paddles - one side with the chromium and the other with plain leather as a compliment to the excellent 4-sided strop I have (which has 3, 1, 0.5 and 0.25 micron diamond pastes).

I'm also firmly in the camp that believes you can go for a very long time without needing to use a hone.

[TENroaches]

Most folks prefer a hanging strop with linen and leather for daily stropping - but that's all it is, a preference. A longer strop means less trips/laps. Paddle strops work just as well, as they use the same leather, you just may need to make more trips on the strop to compensate for the fact they are shorter. The advantages of the paddle over the hanging strops are that (i) you don't have to worry about putting the right amount of tension on the strop and (ii) you don't have to worry about cupping.

As for storing the paddle, you can hang it on a hook in the bathroom or store it in the heavy plastic sleeve that Tony ships it in (I store it in the sleeve standing on the flat end). Alternately, a piece of PVC tube (or something similar) would work well - you don't want to wrap it in a towel as it could rub off the pastes, which could result in contamination - in that you could inadvertently rub the paste from a coarser side onto a finer pasted side or the plain leather, which would be a problem. The More I think about it, the more I like the idea of a piece of PVC or some other tubing that the paddle fits into with just enough clearance so the corners touch - that way you don't have to worry about rubbing off the paste or contamination - also pretty cheap.

I would order the strop pre-pasted as it save you having to order a bunch of abrasive pastes. Tony's good about getting the right amount of paste on the paddle and applying it evenly. You'll eventually need to get some abrasive paste, but likely only one or two at a time, as you'll find you use the finer grits (0.5 microns and lower) more frequently than the coarser (3 and 1microns)

For the three pasted sides, you could do any of the following:

1) 1, 0.5 and 0.25 micron diamond pastes

2) 1, 0.5 micron diamond pastes and 0.5 chromium oxide

3) 3, 1 micron diamond pastes and 0.5 chromium oxide

The chromium is supposedly (I've not used it, but plan to try it some day) able to produce a "smoother" edge than the .05 diamond - but others may have more to say on this than I do.

The 0.25 micron puts an ultra sharp edge on - some people think its too much, again see what others have to say about this.

Finally, you might want to consider getting the finest side or two sides on balsa wood - there's less give than leather and it supposedly helps with the finer pastes (I use balsa with the 0.25 micron diamond paste - based on Tony's suggestion).

I would definitely see what others have to say and talk to Tony, who will help set you up right.

I'm actually considering getting one of his wide 2-sided paddles - one side with the chromium and the other with plain leather as a compliment to the excellent 4-sided strop I have (which has 3, 1, 0.5 and 0.25 micron diamond pastes).

I'm also firmly in the camp that believes you can go for a very long time without needing to use a hone.

Wow, thanks for all the tips! Tony said in an email: "Unless you had specific requirements I would automatically paste with 3.0, 1.0 and 0.5 which are the best all around choices and a good substitutue for a hone." Didn't say whether it's .5 diamond or chromium oxide. I think I'll ask him about the balsa, once the paddle strops are in stock. And the hanging strop I'd like to get. Man, I wish I had a job.... Strike that. I wish I had more money. Without having a job.

[riooso]

Being on the new side here I have a question about using a 4 sided strop. The advice that I got from you guys was great and I sharpened my razor down to 0.25 which is very sharp. I am beginning to really feel the blade during the shave, and when using the 0.25 micron side, I get a fairly harsh feedback from the blade which is a bit rough the first couple of shaves. I have notice that after about 5 shaves, and have been stropping a fair amount, the shave gets a lot smoother, very nice. I am assuming that stropping is helping the edge. How can I get a bit of a smoother shave coming off the 0.25 paste? Hit it with a 12,000? I realize the 0.25 is about the equivalent of 40,000 but was wondering if just a small amount on the 12,000 would make for a slightly smoother shave considering that it is not a diamond manufactured edge? I don't want to start really getting into honing yet but a few swipes on a stone is not going to bother me. Any advice would be appreciated.

Thanks,
Richard

[Tony Miller]

The 0.25 micron diamond is not for everyone. I too find it leaves a harsher edge and one needing more frequent attention. Possibly I over hone with 0.25 leaving a more delicate, or even wire edge but have heard this from quite a few guys. Others though insist they need the extra sharpness a 0.25 grit provides.

My suggestions for a 3 pastes on a 4 side are 3.0, 1.0 and 0.5 micron, all diamond. If pasting 4 side I suggest 3.0, 1.0, 0.5 diamon and 0.5 chromium. Yes, you have two similar sides but each cuts differently and I would split the number of passes between the two, starting on the diamond, finishing on the chromium.

To answer an earlier question, unless requested otherwise I always apply diamond, not chromium as diamond is a bit neater and does not tend to rub off on everything in sight as easily. I also simply have more experience with diamond so tend to default to my own preferences over other very popular choices.

And yes, paddles wil be back eventually but you guys are buying things faster than I can make them so stock continuies to dwindle. (thank you for that though!)

Tony

[TENroaches]

The 0.25 micron diamond is not for everyone. I too find it leaves a harsher edge and one needing more frequent attention. Possibly I over hone with 0.25 leaving a more delicate, or even wire edge but have heard this from quite a few guys. Others though insist they need the extra sharpness a 0.25 grit provides.

My suggestions for a 3 pastes on a 4 side are 3.0, 1.0 and 0.5 micron, all diamond. If pasting 4 side I suggest 3.0, 1.0, 0.5 diamon and 0.5 chromium. Yes, you have two similar sides but each cuts differently and I would split the number of passes between the two, starting on the diamond, finishing on the chromium.

To answer an earlier question, unless requested otherwise I always apply diamond, not chromium as diamond is a bit neater and does not tend to rub off on everything in sight as easily. I also simply have more experience with diamond so tend to default to my own preferences over other very popular choices.

And yes, paddles wil be back eventually but you guys are buying things faster than I can make them so stock continuies to dwindle. (thank you for that though!)

Tony

Thanks for explaining this all, Tony. It sounds like the 3, 1, .5 is the way to go. Since I'm fairly certain I'll be getting a hanging strop, too, maybe I should get four sides pasted. We'll see how I feel when it comes ordering time.

Do you have any input on the subject of balsa wood on the finer sides?

[jlander]

The 0.25 micron diamond is not for everyone. I too find it leaves a harsher edge and one needing more frequent attention. Possibly I over hone with 0.25 leaving a more delicate, or even wire edge but have heard this from quite a few guys. Others though insist they need the extra sharpness a 0.25 grit provides.

My suggestions for a 3 pastes on a 4 side are 3.0, 1.0 and 0.5 micron, all diamond. If pasting 4 side I suggest 3.0, 1.0, 0.5 diamon and 0.5 chromium. Yes, you have two similar sides but each cuts differently and I would split the number of passes between the two, starting on the diamond, finishing on the chromium.

To answer an earlier question, unless requested otherwise I always apply diamond, not chromium as diamond is a bit neater and does not tend to rub off on everything in sight as easily. I also simply have more experience with diamond so tend to default to my own preferences over other very popular choices.

And yes, paddles wil be back eventually but you guys are buying things faster than I can make them so stock continuies to dwindle. (thank you for that though!)

Tony

I have the 4-sided, pasted just as Tony recommends, and once I have gotten the edge right on the vintage blades I use, It keeps them in very good condition.

[riooso]

I am very happy with the 4 sided strop, I was lucky enough to get one. :thumbup1: I am just wondering if there is a hone that I can use and take a little bit of the harshness off the .25 results or is it what you get with the sharpness it provides?


Richard

[Sticky]

I am very happy with the 4 sided strop, I was lucky enough to get one. :thumbup1: I am just wondering if there is a hone that I can use and take a little bit of the harshness off the .25 results or is it what you get with the sharpness it provides?


Richard

Try some newspaper.

[riooso]

Thanks, I will! I am so liking this!!!!!


Richard

[riooso]

Thanks for the newspaper tip it is what I needed! Today's shave was very nice after using the .25 paste and the newspaper trick. This has help me come up with an acceptable strategy to keep a corral of nice razors going! I am ordering a DMT 8000 to have the basic razor maintenance that extends into minor honing. I am not one to buy used razors and I just want to send out real problem children to real honing masters every once in a while.

Once again, thanks guys for help.
Richard

[owen]

Very informative posts. As of now I only have 2 str8's that I've been alternating, both were pre-honed. I have tony's original latigo strop,and been thinking of his paddles 2 or 4 sided. At least he doesn't have the 4 side in stock so I have time to consider. I was thinking 1 an .5 diamond, but I am curious of the chromium smoothness. Decisions Decisions.

[riooso]

Hey Owen. I got the DM 8000 and have tried it out and it really works very well. I got the paddle strop from Tony and it really works very well with a minimum of effort. I got the 3,1,0.5,0.25 pastes applied and as some have said the O.5 chromium makes for a smoother shave but I like the sharpness of the 0.25 myself. Something to consider is that the 8000 is 3 micron I believe. I do not how it would work to do 0.25 then turn around and hit the edge with the 0.5 chromium but if that works maybe someone could tell us. If it does work then one could just eliminate the 3.0 on the paddle and get 1.0, 0.5, 0.5 chromium and the 0.25 diamond. This might be utter nonsense but sometimes thinking out of the box is what is needed. Someone also mentioned getting courser hones to fix dings, and that it is not that much more expensive but one has to flatten the hones which is another hone,,, way to much for me right now.

For the record I am extremely happy with the setup I have. I honed my new Dovo and have decided not to send it in because it is one very sharp razor!


Richard

[Tony Miller]

If it does work then one could just eliminate the 3.0 on the paddle and get 1.0, 0.5, 0.5 chromium and the 0.25 diamond. This might be utter nonsense but sometimes thinking out of the box is what is needed. !


Richard

Utter nonsense.........I like the sound of that. I already call the 3.0, 1.0, 0.5 diamond, 0.5 chromium the "Fanatics Special" I suppose I could sing the advantages of the "Utter Nonsense" 1.0, 0.5 diamond, 0.5 chromium and 0.25 diamond. Then of course comes the "Over The Edge" model....0.5 diamond, 0.5 chromium, 0.25 diamond and 0.10 diamond <g>.

Tony

[riooso]

Whoa there partner! The nonsense question is whether one can use the 0.25 then use the 0.5 chrome and not dull the blade. I personally do not know if one can do that, it is a rougher grind, right? I do not have enough experience to know!

Richard

[riooso]

Wait a minute can one get 0.1?


R

[loueedacat]

Wait a minute can one get 0.1?


R

I was wondering that too! : ) Probably a good way to filet your face.

[Belegnole]

oh, yes they keep getting finer BUT there is such a thing as diminishing returns....

[riooso]

I still have the the question of ..... if you use the pasted strop to 0.25 can you then go to the 0.5 Chromium? It seems counter intuitive to me but I do not have experience in this area.


Thanks,
Richard

[2Sharp]

Utter nonsense.........I like the sound of that. I already call the 3.0, 1.0, 0.5 diamond, 0.5 chromium the "Fanatics Special" I suppose I could sing the advantages of the "Utter Nonsense" 1.0, 0.5 diamond, 0.5 chromium and 0.25 diamond. Then of course comes the "Over The Edge" model....0.5 diamond, 0.5 chromium, 0.25 diamond and 0.10 diamond <g>.

Tony

Or you could go into the "fourth dimension" with flat paddles 6.0, 3.0, 1.0, 0.5 diamond, 0.5 chromium .25 diamond plus a small travel touch up paddle with 1.0 diamond and Chromium Oxide.

bj

[gglockner]

I still have the the question of ..... if you use the pasted strop to 0.25 can you then go to the 0.5 Chromium? It seems counter intuitive to me but I do not have experience in this area.


Thanks,
Richard

Typically you wouldn't unless you didn't like the edge after using the .25. I guess it doesn't hurt to experiment. Whatever works as they say.

Glen