What's new

How To Use a Pasted Balsa Strop

Yes, you need to use an acrylic plate as backing. Write each grit size on the side of the balsa that you are going to glue to the balsa. Then you can read which one is which, through the transparent acrylic. Use spray adhesive.

No need to shape it into the handle shape of a paddle strop. A rectangular 12x3 shape will feel fine in your hand.

Personally I would trim the 4 inch width down to 3 inches. Unless you have huge hands, 3 inches is more comfortable.

Trimming balsa is easy though. An exacto knife to create a deep cut, and then you can snap it over the edge of a bench.
Where can I find acrylic plates? The ones on eBay aren’t super thick.

 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
what concentration diamond do you use? 10%, 25% or 50%?
Use 25% (preferred) or 50%. The 25% is a bit easier to spread.

When buying your diamond paste, I suggest that you get one each of 0.5um and 0.25um and two of 0.1um. Five grams should last you a few years however you will go through about twice as much 0.1um compared to the others as you are (should be) using the 0.1um strop after every shave.
 
Last edited:

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
@ceriano somehow I get the feeling that you have not read the thread yet. The problem with asking all these questions piecemeal is that you don't yet know all the questions that you had ought to ask. Read the thread, and then see if there is a single question you could ask that is not already asked. Not trying to be mean or stingy with knowledge or anything, just trying to help you and others. This thread is THE place to find the answers to your questions and they are already here, along with the answers to the questions you haven't thought to ask yet. If all you know is just the answers to the questions you ask, you won't know enough to be able to make or use a balsa progression successfully. Read. Absorb. Then, do.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
Found some! I saw on your YouTube video you suggested holding up the strop block flat. Wouldn’t be better to shape this into something like a paddle strop?
No. But if you want to, be my guest.

Also does 0.25 thick need backing?
Yes. Read the thread.

Can I use the whole piece as a strop and not cutting it?
So you want a balsa strop that is 36" long? No. Anyway you need three pieces, one for each grit. Read the thread.
 
@ceriano somehow I get the feeling that you have not read the thread yet. The problem with asking all these questions piecemeal is that you don't yet know all the questions that you had ought to ask. Read the thread, and then see if there is a single question you could ask that is not already asked. Not trying to be mean or stingy with knowledge or anything, just trying to help you and others. This thread is THE place to find the answers to your questions and they are already here, along with the answers to the questions you haven't thought to ask yet. If all you know is just the answers to the questions you ask, you won't know enough to be able to make or use a balsa progression successfully. Read. Absorb. Then, do.
I’m on page 26, Getting there.
 
Use 25% (preferred) or 50%. The 25% is a bit easier to spread.

When buying your diamond paste, I suggest that you get one each of 0.5um and 0.25um and two of 0.1um. Five grams should last you a few years however you will go through about twice as much 0.1um compared to the others as you are (should be) using the 0.1um strop after every shave.

I got the 50%.
After spreading it and wiping it,
I got the feeling that maybe the 25% might have been a better choice.

When the 50% is spread as thinly as possible,
it is still pretty thick,
which would be ok if wiping would spread it further,
but it doesn't, not to any meaningful degree.
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
I’m on page 26, Getting there.
I first read the whole thread once. I then read it again but concentrated more on just @Slash McCoy's posts. During this second reading, I took notes and modified those notes accordingly as I progressed through the thread.

Like most things, it takes time to learn and understand a new skill. Trust me (I'm an engineer), it is well worth the time and effort.
 
Where can I find acrylic plates? The ones on eBay aren’t super thick.

It depends where in the world you are. I know there are suppliers in the EU and also Britain. I have heard they are also available in the US.

You want 20 or 25mm (¾ to 1") thick. Most suppliers will cut to size if they have the correct thickness.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
I got the 50%.
After spreading it and wiping it,
I got the feeling that maybe the 25% might have been a better choice.

When the 50% is spread as thinly as possible,
it is still pretty thick,
which would be ok if wiping would spread it further,
but it doesn't, not to any meaningful degree.
When you say spread thinly, I don't think you are quite getting the idea. You do not need complete universal coverage. you MUST NOT have a layer of paste. Just sort of dot it around, and rub it in. Then wipe with an old tshirt to clean off your excess. The 50% paste works fine. Dot dot dot dot dot dot dot, then rub it in good. Always do the fine grit balsa first, to avoid contaminating the fine balsa with coarser diamond. Hand rub, firmly.

The most common causes of mediocre performance are not assembling and lapping the balsa properly, using too much pressure, and having too much paste.
 
Honestly when I'm done adding the paste I feel sort of cheated because after all that lapping and rubbing and wiping it looks like there's not a dang thing on there.

Yet the gradual swarf or whatever that builds up over time (mostly I see it with the 0.5) suggests that the pixie dust is indeed present and working its magic. (Plus the shaving results.)
 
When you say spread thinly, I don't think you are quite getting the idea. You do not need complete universal coverage. you MUST NOT have a layer of paste. Just sort of dot it around, and rub it in. Then wipe with an old tshirt to clean off your excess. The 50% paste works fine. Dot dot dot dot dot dot dot, then rub it in good. Always do the fine grit balsa first, to avoid contaminating the fine balsa with coarser diamond. Hand rub, firmly.

The most common causes of mediocre performance are not assembling and lapping the balsa properly, using too much pressure, and having too much paste.

I put one dot on, I spread that around as far as it will go.
From that, I judge how to place the other dots,
so that the covered area from each dot almost reaches the surrounding areas.
When the dots are spread as far as they will go, the covered areas are grey.
When I'm done cloth wiping, the grey is barely perceptible and
the areas from each dot are indistinct from each other.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
I put one dot on, I spread that around as far as it will go.
From that, I judge how to place the other dots,
so that the covered area from each dot almost reaches the surrounding areas.
When the dots are spread as far as they will go, the covered areas are grey.
When I'm done cloth wiping, the grey is barely perceptible and
the areas from each dot are indistinct from each other.
Yeah it sounds like you are applying a bit too much. That's okay, not a dealbreaker as long as you wipe it down thoroughly with an old tshirt. You could in theory have about 10% of "enough" and it still be enough. But having 10% extra would be just about as bad as having 10X the proper amount. The idea is to have ZERO coating, only embedded particles. I know that probably sounds like it can't possibly work but you can ask all of the successful Method users and they will back me up on this. If it looks like enough, it is way too much, and it will hold you back, due to slurry effect.
 
It's counterintuitive. What works is tiny dots and a complete failure to cover the entire surface. You will feel a profound urge to cover the entire surface. I still do. Our feelings are wrong.

Because this is all happening at the microscopic level. Below our levels of sensory perception. So you have to let go of what your intuition tells you.

Check in with what your feelings tell you and use half of that.
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
After initially finishing an edge with a diamond pasted balsa strop progression, stropping on clean leather and shaving, I put that edge through another full diamond pasted balsa strop progression after that shave. I keep on doing this after each shave until I find that it provides no further improvement of the edge. I then drop down to 0.25μm and 0.1μm after each shave, again until I find that it provides no further improvement of the edge. From then on, it is just 0.1μm after each shave.

I would also suggest that you repeat the above after about every 50 to 100 shaves with the same edge. This is just to make sure that you still have the best possible edge from your diamond pasted balsa strops.

The short X strokes at the end of the 0.1μm stropping are also important for a more comfortable shave. I normally do about 15 to 20. Those strokes put an X "scratch" pattern on the bevel that further helps to prevent stiction between bevel and skin while shaving.

This all works well for me.
 
Last edited:

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
Here is what I consider one (1) short X-stroke lap. Each lap consists of four (4) approximately 45° angle movements on the balsa surface.

The start position:
IMG_20210716_105550.jpg
You then move the blade up and to the right (in this photo) at about a 45° angle to this position:
IMG_20210716_105608.jpg
You then move the blade horizontally to the left (in this photo) to this position:
IMG_20210716_105633.jpg
You then move the blade down to the right (in this photo) at about a 45° angle to this position:
IMG_20210716_105707.jpg
You then move the blade up to the left (in this photo) at about a 45° angle to this position:
IMG_20210716_105757.jpg
You then move the blade horizontally to the right (in this photo) to this position:
IMG_20210716_105818.jpg
You then move the blade down to the left (in this photo) at about a 45° angle to this position:
IMG_20210716_105849.jpg
That completes one (1) short X stroke. Of course this should be done with the balsa stop handheld, I just didn't have enough hands to hold everything and take photos.

I do about 15 to 20 of these short X strokes at least the end of each 0.1μm balsa stropping session. If I feel inclined, I will also do the same at the end of my 0.5μm and 0.25μm balsa stropping sessions.
 

steveclarkus

Goose Poop Connoisseur
I just do 50 laps on the .1u balsa strop then about 50 laps on leather between shaves and have never had a blade deteriorate in more than three years. Pasted balsa is definitely the lazy man’s way to keep a razor sharp shave after shave. When I get super lazy and don’t pull maintenance before bed, I use a shavette the next morning rather shave with the same edge twice with no maintenance in between. Frankly, I prefer tying flies rather than honing razors.
 

rbscebu

Girls call me Makaluod
@dabrock recently asked how much paste to apply to his balsa strops. Here is a reply.

From @Tanuki:

I use Tech Diamond Tools 50% pastes, diluted with acetone just to the point where the suspension seems watery rather than pastey. I apply using my fingertip, inside a nitrile medical glove. I rub it in with light pressure, using just enough of the diamond suspension that I can see that I have coverage. I am perfectly happy with my stropping results. L to R: 50k (0.5μm), 100k (0.25μm), 200k (0.1μm)
7571DB99-718A-426F-917C-F3BC4DD3040E.jpg
From me:

Here are two of my diamond pasted balsa strops. Both have been lapped flat and re-pasted and then been used for about 20 x 50 lap progressions each.
IMG_20210722_165853.jpg
Like @Tanuki I use about 5mm to 6mm extrusion out of the Tech Diamond syringe for each balsa strop. It is easier to spread if diluted with acetone. After application, just remembered to try and rub about all the paste off the balsa with a piece of clean old t-shirt. Then you should have about the right amount applied.

Here is an end view of my 0.25μm balsa strop. Top layer is 8mm thick balsa (I couldn't get 6mm). Middle layer is a smooth ceramic floor tile cut to size and the bottom layer is 20mm this structural PVC foam (painted with acrylic paint). Rubber glue is used between the balsa and tile while structural epoxy glue is used between the tile and foam. This arrangement is much lighter (and cheaper) than using cast acrylic sheet as a substrate but is more work to put together. Being lighter makes it easier to hold in-hand and, when using a balsa strop "hanging", allows for even lighter pressure.
IMG_20210722_170820.jpg
Follow the instructions to the letter for the best results (and who doesn't want the best results for their SR edges?). I unfortunately could not source ¾" thick cast acrylic when making my balsa strops so I had to devise what I considered the nearest replacement. Fortunately that replacement (tile on PVC foam) worked well - and I think even better.

After 1½ years, I have used about 1.0g of 0.1μm paste and about 0.25g of both 0.5μm and 0.25μm paste. My 5g syringes should last me about 7 to 10 years or more. If buying 0.1μm paste, I recommend getting two 5g x 0.1μm syringes (saves on shipping). 0.1μm paste is used the most if you maintain your edges on a 0.1μm pasted hanging strop after each shave (and you should).

You will need to replace your balsa on the substrate once it gets to about 3mm thick. A 6mm thick piece of balsa should last you about 4 to 7 years, depending on use.

@Tomo's reply:

I’ve attempted to follow ‘The Method’ exactly. Tech Diamond Pastes in 0.5, 0.25 and 0.1u Thin 1/4” thick balsa cut in thirds to 12x3” 3/4” solid acrylic backing Stuck together with contact spray adhesive Balsa lapped flat with a full sheet of sandpaper on a certified flat granite surface plate. To apply dot a pinto bean sized piece of diamond paste around evenly and rub in good with bare hands. You can thin out really thick paste with a finger tips worth of mineral oil if required. Wipe off all excess with soft T-shirt material after application. It will look like there’s no paste left on the balsa but there is. Stick to the proper method for the best results.
AB7C04B3-188D-4255-93DF-D1D99C3A46F9.jpg
 
When you guys hold the balsa vertically, are you holding it the tall way in front of you? I Methodized several blades last night and I experimented with holding the balsa vertically on the long edge, basically pointed away from me. I don't know if that makes sense. Picture holding the balsa flat like you would a hone and then just rotating your wrist inward. I found it was easier for me to maintain the same degree of very light contact throughout the length of the stroke than if I hold it up and down like a hanging strop.

Also had the damndest thing happen. One of my razors, a Gradwell (best I can tell is it's a mid-19th century Sheffield brand) is very smooth, almost slippery. It was also the sharpest blade by far *before* I took it to the balsa. When doing my pull strokes, it actually sliced into the balsa at the heel end. Now once could be due to inattention or too much pressure. But it happened again and I was being very deliberate, slow, and with light pressure, and specifically trying to avoid a repeat performance. Less than the weight of the blade was enough to start to slice it into the edge of the balsa. It didn't hurt the edge, as I tested it thoroughly with hanging hair along the entire length. But I'll have to relap my .1 strop now.

Shaved with that blade this morning and it was incredible.
 
Top Bottom