Thread: I've gone a bit overboard

Short answer:

. . . Probably not.

A pasted strop is great for polishing an already-sharp edge. "Already-sharp" means that it's been sharpened on a stone (or sandpaper) to somewhere between 4000 and 8000 grit. The edge and bevel should look flawless _before you start_ with the pasted strop.

It really is a polishing tool, not a sharpening or honing tool.

I found this in the Wiki:

Using micro abrasive film - Straight Razor Place Wiki

and more-or-less followed its guidance. I found that 2000-grit sandpaper wasn't fine enough as a final grit, but 5-micron microabrasive paper was OK. After the 5-micron microabrasive, I could use a chromium oxide (0.5 micron) pasted strop (and leather strop) and get a good shave.

One warning (to forestall some critics):

You'll need as much skill using sandpaper, as you will using stones. It's cheaper (in small quantities), but it's not easier.

My experience is that a blade that looks "not too bad" naked-eye, looks a lot worse under 10x magnification. It usually requires a full "bevel reset", with 600- or 1000-grit paper.

Most people use sharpening stones -- I just bought my first one, and I'm still working out the kinks.

Charles