I am new at this, and have a new strop, and shave ready razor. What, if anything, can I apply to either my strop or a second strop/balsa/cloth to maintain the edge as long as possible? I don't want to ruin my edge, but don't want to send my razor out for honing too often. Should I just get a strop/balsa combo from Larry that comes pasted? Thanks!
Regarding strop paste.
- Thread starter Lather King
- Start date
You definitely want to keep one strop totally free of all pastes for your daily stropping.
leather dont paste...
1 side of linen paste it..use a tiny bit..."shmear" it around to cover the middle of the linen area
1 side of linen paste it..use a tiny bit..."shmear" it around to cover the middle of the linen area
- Thread starter
- #4
Can anyone recommend a brand and or "grit"? Thanks!
The Dovo red'n'black kit is pretty good, as is the TI white paste.
I picked up some leather pieces from eBay for my pastes, which I just lay on my desk to use. Much more affordable than buying extra strops.
I picked up some leather pieces from eBay for my pastes, which I just lay on my desk to use. Much more affordable than buying extra strops.
i use dovo white on a linen component and crox on a dedicated leather strop. i also use dovo red and black on a loom strop and black dovo on a dedicated leather strop. i think the dovo white works well for quick touch-ups. and i like the black on leather for an extra step before bare leather sometimes when i feel it's needed. but always keep on leather strop clean or free from all. as always YMMV, but this mess works for me.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Get a piece of balsa, 3" wide, 12" long or a bit more, and 3/4" thick or maybe 1". It shouldn't cost more than $6 or so. In fact I got a 36" long piece for $7 at a local hobby shop.
Get some 1u (one micron) diamond paste, and some .25u diamond. I get mine from www.tedpella.com but there are many sources. Apply a couple of bb's worth of one grit on each side. Be careful not to contaminate the fine grit with the coarse one! Rub it around. After every shave, give it a half dozen to a dozen light laps on the 1u side, wipe it clean, and give it a dozen or two very light laps on the fine side. This will keep your edge nice and sharp indefinitely, if your stropping technique is good. Of course you still must strop on leather, before each shave.
You should replenish the diamond on your balsa about once a month. A bb's worth is plenty. A little goes a long way. You don't want a coating. You want the diamond particles to embed in the balsa.
You could also get yourself a 4" x 12" polished marble "bullnose" edge tile from Home Depot, and some 1u lapping film. This will give you excellent touchup capabilities for very little coin. You will never need anything else for honing your razor unless you damage the edge somehow. If your pasted balsa stropping ever proves inadequate, about 4 dozen laps on the film followed by 4 dozen extremely light laps on film over damp paper will give you an incredible edge.
I don't like to paste a hanging leather strop, normally. Abrasives should be used on a flat and rigid surface, IMHO. Hence the balsa. A leather bench strop will also work in place of the balsa, but I think the balsa is a little better.
Get some 1u (one micron) diamond paste, and some .25u diamond. I get mine from www.tedpella.com but there are many sources. Apply a couple of bb's worth of one grit on each side. Be careful not to contaminate the fine grit with the coarse one! Rub it around. After every shave, give it a half dozen to a dozen light laps on the 1u side, wipe it clean, and give it a dozen or two very light laps on the fine side. This will keep your edge nice and sharp indefinitely, if your stropping technique is good. Of course you still must strop on leather, before each shave.
You should replenish the diamond on your balsa about once a month. A bb's worth is plenty. A little goes a long way. You don't want a coating. You want the diamond particles to embed in the balsa.
You could also get yourself a 4" x 12" polished marble "bullnose" edge tile from Home Depot, and some 1u lapping film. This will give you excellent touchup capabilities for very little coin. You will never need anything else for honing your razor unless you damage the edge somehow. If your pasted balsa stropping ever proves inadequate, about 4 dozen laps on the film followed by 4 dozen extremely light laps on film over damp paper will give you an incredible edge.
I don't like to paste a hanging leather strop, normally. Abrasives should be used on a flat and rigid surface, IMHO. Hence the balsa. A leather bench strop will also work in place of the balsa, but I think the balsa is a little better.
The only thing I would add to Slash's very good suggestion is to only paste one side of the strop. Eventually, you have to put it down, and it's great to have an unpasted side that won't wreck whatever surface you lay it on.
Balsa is cheap, simple to sand, durable, and effective. Works great with diamond sprays (haven't tried diamond paste) and CrOx style pastes (I use the Dove red and black).
Balsa is cheap, simple to sand, durable, and effective. Works great with diamond sprays (haven't tried diamond paste) and CrOx style pastes (I use the Dove red and black).
- Thread starter
- #9
Thank you guys! I decided to order the Dovo red and black paste, and glue some balsa to a stable surface. The I will strop on the wood, cleaning between each paste, then strop on bare leather. Sound fair? I read the other day about glueing the balsa to a marble chunk.
The Dovo red paste is on the order of 2-3 microns, and the black seems indistinguishable from the typically green crox pastes.
- Thread starter
- #11
Thanks Ouch! That sounds like what I need.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Actually that is a good idea, especially if you get a 36" long piece, enough for three good strops. But I stand mine up on its side in the med cabinet, and I hole mine in hand while using it. (works better that way... try it!)
I come to stropping from sharpening woodworking tools, and i've always made my own strops. mostly I make them from hard wood with various polishing compounds. green compound is fast and leaves a nice edge. my question is about balsa- why use so soft a wood?
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
because the diamond particles embed nicely into the balsa. also due to the resilience you get just the tiniest bit of convexity at the edge which makes fir a very comfortable edge.i have also used pine and basswood and the balsa seems to work best. For tools I think maybe a harder substrate might be better.
Hey welcome back Slash!
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Situation unchanged. Still in the Persian Gulf. Not home yet. And been kinda preoccupied with another forum lately. No, not "that other" razor forum... sailboat stuff. Anyhow I want to be home when I make my 4,000th post so I am there when my free toaster arrives.
