Thread: Chromium Oxide and overhoning?

Originally Posted by Russel Baldridge

For one thing, the "give" in the surface of a strop should prevent the burr (universal term for a wire edge) from forming since it slightly rounds the edge off. Adding CrO paste should not affect this too much, if at all.

That's a great point Russel. Whether you like it or not, if you hone a razor on a pasted strop (especially hanging but also paddle to some degree) you should in theory get at least a slightly convex edge at the microscopic level. Actually using pasted leather and/or other media that "give" is the method that people use to put a convex edge on knives. This is a little bit different than the type of "straight" edge that is produced on a strong flat stone. I don't have much experience with this but many people really like convex edges on knives. I'm not really sure how this would translate to a shaving edge and the possibility of "overhoning" but just thought that I would throw that out there. Could this have something to do with the fact that many experienced shavers claim that a great edge produced on a hone will last longer than a great edge produced on a pasted strop even though many preffer the shave the latter provides in the beginning? Now I am starting to get off topic though

Originally Posted by heavydutysg135

Actually using pasted leather and/or other media that "give" is the method that people use to put a convex edge on knives. This is a little bit different than the type of "straight" edge that is produced on a strong flat stone. I don't have much experience with this but many people really like convex edges on knives. I'm not really sure how this would translate to a shaving edge and the possibility of "overhoning" but just thought that I would throw that out there. Could this have something to do with the fact that many experienced shavers claim that a great edge produced on a hone will last longer than a great edge produced on a pasted strop even though many preffer the shave the latter provides in the beginning? Now I am starting to get off topic though

This is indeed a strange phenomenon. In the case of knife sharpening, the convex edge results in a more obtuse angle which makes the edge last a bit longer. For razor use (even though the rounding is minimal) the convex edge ought to be increasing the edge retention, so something about the way pasted abrasives actually cut the steel must be making the edge weaker, rather than the method of abrading. Very strange if it is a verifiable occurrence.

Maybe it's a matter of having a quick and easy way of refreshing an edge, which makes you more likely to use it as soon as the edge is minutely less sharp, thus making it seem like the edge isn't holding up because you're refreshing it so often. Speculation at best, but it could have some merit.