Thread: Balsa strop questions

First it's great to be part of this big community, i have few questions about the balsa strop?? #1 knowing that my leather stropping technic is getting better when should i start to use the balsa strop(green oxide and red oxide)? #2 how long the green oxide and the red oxide is good on the balsa before adding some more? And the main question what does the green oxide and red oxide do to the edge? Has you can see i'm stil a newbie on straight shaving. Right now i concentrate on shaving and stropping and the honing i prefer to let that to the pro, maybe in a year or so i'll try to learn but right now i preffer the quality of the shave. I have 2 straight's and i found 1 is sharper then the other 1. The first i received from whipped dod isn't as sharp as the one i received from bagister(Zayid). I understand that the 1 from whipped dod is a 9/16 and the 1 from bagister(Zayid) is a 5/8 and there's a difference in weight but still. The 9/16 gave me decent shave but the 5/8 gave me a great shave, whould it be time for me to use the balsa strop for my. 9/16? Sorry for the long post, if you got any input let me know. Gino

Hello. The one question that stands out to me is #2. I reapply the pastes when I no longer see residue on the piece of toilet paper I wipe the blade with.

After I strop I wipe the spine off so I don't cross contaminate the pastes. This will leave either a green or red mark on the paper. When I don't see that anymore I reapply.

the Balsa with paste is great for a refresh
usually once you start to notice the blade loosing its edge, a few passes (about 10 on each then strop & test if not quite right repeat) over the pastes should liven it up if you have not rolled the edge stropping (then its back to stones)
I have used my balsa with both pastes on about 40 blades after honing & they still work the same, note my balsa's have solid cover not just X paterns

I use balsa as my final step after honing. You can use it to bring back an edge if it is just starting to tug but if you allow the edge to deteriorate too much you will need to go back to the stones.

4k = 5 micron
8k = 3 micron
12k = 1.5 micron
60k = .5 micron
100k = .25 micron
Grit ranges by manufacturers differ so this is only a guide.

[QUOTE=

4k = 5 micron
8k = 3 micron
12k = 1.5 micron
60k = .5 micron
100k = .25 micron
Grit ranges by manufacturers differ so this is only a guide.[/QUOTE]
That little breakdown on grit>microns goes in the saved file.
Had no idea the .25 diamond would equate to such a high grit level.
Thanks.

.5 Chromium Oxide is generally accepted as 30k grit equivalent.

But not all Chrome Oxide is the same, much of what is sold is for polishing and contains other abrasives much larger but polish more aggressively.

For straight razor use, buy quality proven performers, SRD, Kremer Pigments or Hand America. Much of the powder Chrome Oxide is from Kremer. What you want is purity and uniform grit size.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

.5 Chromium Oxide is generally accepted as 30k grit equivalent.

This is also my understanding from all the reading I've done and charts I've seen.

Pastes are great for touching up the egde just be careful of contamination as mentioned.

You will only need to reapply when you find it no longer being effective. I have yet to reapply to my strops.

Yea, still stropping on a Chrome Oxide strop I pasted years ago. If Chrome Oxide is coming off on your blade, you have too much paste on your strop.

I have also stropped on Vintage Loom, Chrome Ox strops, many years old, probably 50+, that still polish just fine.

It can take a while to get the CrOx fully embedded into a strop, but once it is in there it will stop coming off on the blade and will be good for decades.

.50 ChromOx gives a smooth finish. I like to use the 1.0 Diamond Paste before though.

You know you need more when the paste is very thin and looking ineffective and you are not getting good results. After a few pastings, you will gain a feel for it. You don't need much of a film of paste to make the strop effective. My 4 sided strop was one of my favorite purchases, with three sides pasted with different pastes.

I have so much fun with the strop, my sharping stones can get a little dusty.

Pabster