Favorite CrOx Strop

[mbrossar]

I'm curious what people put CrOx on. I've got an old leather hanging strop that I've pasted. I've heard that paddle strops are supposed to be better for pasted strops. Then there's the whole question of leather versus wool versus balsa versus cotton, etc.

The reason I ask is I have two razors. One I have no trouble keeping a magically sharp edge on my hanging leather pasted strop. The other take significantly more work, but I can get it there. Yes, the strop is very taught and flat. Considering how challenging it is to get the edge I want on one of my razors, I started wondering if perhaps I should be considering a different medium to paste. Perhaps a different medium would be even easier to achieve that edge.

I didn't create a poll out of this because of all the possible permutations (e.g. hanging leather, leather paddle, hanging felt, felt on paddle, etc.)

So, what do you use? What's your favorite?

 

[Seraphim]

I get very similar exults from chromox on both a Levi cavas belt ($8), and a HandAmerican hard felt strop. I'm more used to the belt, so I generally gobfor that.

If a razor doesn't come around with some light chromox work it's time to hit the hones again, not continue with even more chromox IMHO.

 

[ambrose]

As of recent I really like a 2inch natural cotton canvas for, and my favorite chrome ox is diamond

 

[Seraphim]

As of recent I really like a 2inch natural cotton canvas for, and my favorite chrome ox is diamond

I use a blend of chromox and 0.5um diamond. It kicked the effectiveness of chromox alone up a couple notches.

 

[matt321]

I've used CrO on leather, micropore tape, paper, felt, and cotton canvas. My best results were from CrO on cotton canvas (hanging strop).

 

[W_B_K]

I have tried it on wool felt, cotton canvas and 2 different leather strops. The one it works best on for me is the backside of the Spanish leather strop from Ambrose. Then comes the cotton, followed by the wool then the other pasted leather I have. Mind you they all work fine, but the backside of that Spanish leather with some light pasting really kicks up the edge.

 

[jrowen]

I use a blend of chromox and 0.5um diamond. It kicked the effectiveness of chromox alone up a couple notches.

I'd be interested to try a blend.

What order do you apply them in? Paste on the chromox and then spray diamond over it? or spray diamond first and then paste the chromox over it? (I assumed the diamond was spray and not paste, but I could be wrong).

What kind of a ratio do you use? 1:1? More chromox than diamond? More diamond than chromox?

- Jason

 

[Seraphim]

I'd be interested to try a blend.

What order do you apply them in? Paste on the chromox and then spray diamond over it? or spray diamond first and then paste the chromox over it? (I assumed the diamond was spray and not paste, but I could be wrong).

What kind of a ratio do you use? 1:1? More chromox than diamond? More diamond than chromox?

- Jason

Nothing quite so scientific: I had a chromx strop that I had been using, and spritzed on some 0.5um diamond. All I know is that you don't want to put on too much of either for best results.

 

[jrowen]

Good to know. Thanks for sharing!

As a data point, I've used balsa (so far) and have liked the results. But I'm afraid I can't help much with comparisons.

- Jason

 

[mbrossar]

Thanks guys. Interesting, it sounds like most folks use a hanging strop of one sort or another rather than a paddle.

 

[ouch]

I recently received some 0.25 microm diamond spray from Dave Martell, and man o'Manischewitz does that give a sharp edge.

 

[Huxley]

I use cromox and ceox on a big balsa plank of wood, does the job for me but seraphim mentioning his diamond spritz ain't helping my wallet.

 

[chsreason37]

I have CrOx on the back of my filly strop.

 

[Joe Edson]

Hope not to get to sidetracked here, but for touching up an edge do you all prefer CrOx over say a barbers hone or a finishing stone such as an escher?

Or is it used more because it is quick to do 5-10 laps as opposed to much more on a barbers or finishing hone?

 

[taffy]

I have it on my starter strop, it was rubbish, but now its serving a purpose.

 

[mbrossar]

Hope not to get to sidetracked here, but for touching up an edge do you all prefer CrOx over say a barbers hone or a finishing stone such as an escher?

Or is it used more because it is quick to do 5-10 laps as opposed to much more on a barbers or finishing hone?

For me, it's because my honing skills are not sufficient enough to get the edge I want off the stone. I can only achieve it off a CrOx strop. I'm hoping to improve to the point that I'm shaving off a stone. I hear the edge will last longer and it just sounds better.

 

[wdwrx]

...I hear the edge will last longer ...

This has been my experience. I've quite using pastes altogether. Now I've got a bunch of strops hanging around all covered in pastes that I don't use any more.
I've found (as I was warned) that the edge from pastes will wear off in just a couple of shaves. My pure coti edges last longer than the pasted edges I was using.

 

[mbrossar]

This has been my experience. I've quite using pastes altogether. Now I've got a bunch of strops hanging around all covered in pastes that I don't use any more.
I've found (as I was warned) that the edge from pastes will wear off in just a couple of shaves. My pure coti edges last longer than the pasted edges I was using.

This has been my experience with my CrOx strop. I have two razors that I freshen up on Sundays. Sometimes I feel lucky to get through the whole week with one touch up. Maybe my stropping technique is off. They pop hairs pretty good when I touch them up, but they pull a bit by the following weekend.