Thread: BLADE UPKEEP

Possessing a barber hone, Green & Red Cro2 pasted strops what would be the correct combination or individual use of these products to keep blades shaveready? I am also assuming leather stroping at preshave.

Thanks

Assuming a SR blade to start and no major damage from bumps, falls or other hazards, it should be a go. There are many variations suggested in these forums and personal preference seems to dictate what method each one advocates.

Assuming your razor has a good sharp edge on it, all you need to do is strop on plain leather before shaving (many people also use linen). If it starts to pull a little bit, make about 10-15 passes on the green CrO then wipe it clean and strop normally on the plain leather and try it out. Increase the # of passes on the CrO until satisfied; the barber hone will touch it up a little more than the green chrome ox if need be. I've never used a red paste, I think all CrO is green but don't know what the red actually is - cerium oxide, maybe?
Anyway, don't use anything but plain leather on a daily basis. Pasted strops and barber hones are for occasionally touching up the edge.

EDIT
*Finally made 200 - not bad for an introvert!

Are you referring to the dovo green and red pastes? Because the green is not chromium oxide and is much coarser. The red is actually the finer of the two. For touching up your blade, all you should need is the barber hone.

Originally Posted by StraightRazorDave

Are you referring to the dovo green and red pastes? Because the green is not chromium oxide and is much coarser. The red is actually the finer of the two. For touching up your blade, all you should need is the barber hone.

It's the paste in the classified by Karakoup1.

Oh ok, then those seem to be much finer than the dovo pastes! He says that the red is finer than the green chromium oxide, so if you were to touch up your razor I would use the green then the red. I would just try a few laps on each to see how it goes, maybe 5 on each.

But if your razor is already shaving well I would wait until it starts to pull a bit to try the pastes. You would hate to dull a sharp razor by accident...

Originally Posted by StraightRazorDave

Oh ok, then those seem to be much finer than the dovo pastes! He says that the red is finer than the green chromium oxide, so if you were to touch up your razor I would use the green then the red. I would just try a few laps on each to see how it goes, maybe 5 on each.

But if your razor is already shaving well I would wait until it starts to pull a bit to try the pastes. You would hate to dull a sharp razor by accident...

OK Thanks, if I have barber hone would this be used when pastes don't help any more or before using the paste?

Originally Posted by paco

OK Thanks, if I have barber hone would this be used when pastes don't help any more or before using the paste?

I would use the pastes for touch ups and when that starts to not work as well (Cr0 dulls the blade after a while) then I would go to the hone.