Thread: 1K pasted MDF Strop

Well, as I mentioned in this thread, I got hold of some coarse honing powders (400, 1K, 1.5K and 3K) and I got it in my head to see how they'd do in lieu of hones. I tried the first one out today.

I started with MDF--Medium Density Fiberboard. It's more readily available here than balsa, and it's cheap and starts out flat. I started with a piece that's 30cmx10cm--pretty huge. I cut off about 3cm to make a slimmer hone, and to make a "ripe stick", as I believe KevinT called it.

I mixed the powder with some cutlery oil and brushed it on with a cheap boar brush. This didn't work too well...the "paste" was much too thick and clumped up, so after I had brushed the area enough to prime it with oil, I spread some powder on liberally with my finger.

I used less than a gram, I'd say...and I have 75g. So...yeah, I can do this a couple times.

So that was the strop. I decided to test it out on a couple of razors. I had one that I had honed a frown out of but hadn't done anything else to it. I dulled it on class (I know, I know...) and stropped. After a while, not too long...maybe 40 passes?? 50?? I didn't count...I had a nice, sticky bevel. First success!!

Then, I had this freaking Rongin razor. It has been giving me fits. This one has a fantastic bevel up to the front inch or so of the blade. I figured hey, why not? And gave it a go. About 20 minutes later...

SUCCESS!!!!! The strop worked where the hones had failed...Oh my oh my am I HAPPPYYYYY!!!!!!

The effects are interesting. Instead of a scratch pattern, they give more of a "speckled" look like a nakayama or coticule...you get a very shiny bevel even off of 1K.

Tomorrow is the 3K, and when my Diamond pastes get here, we'll see how far we can take this madness!!!