Are the sharpen paste for a strop a replacement for a hone? If so which is better?
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Are the sharpen paste for a strop a replacement for a hone? If so which is better?
No. You will never replace the stones. Stropping, using virgin or pasted strops is a continuation of the honing process. In this final stage you are polishing the rough edge to its highest possible state of even wear.
If all you need is a minor or basic honing you can use either method. Eventually you will need to use a hone though because of the way paste sharpens and affects the edge but that can be long way off. If you need a major honing or restoration of any kind you will need a hone.
No not a replacement.
see it more as a slight touch up on your razor.
If paste are not enough to make your razor sharp, then you have to hone.
Pasted strops can help touch-up an edge (think of them as a replacement for a barber hone). However, they aren't a replacement for the honing process - just an extension of the process.
Hey Koosh
On here most if not everyone uses hones to keep there razors sharp. So you really won't be able to find much about using paste to do it except for touch ups.
But with that said It really depends on what you are asking the paste to do. I haven't found a paste that will set a bevel on a razor yet so you probally atleast need one stone to do that. Probally a 1k which is the cheapest of the stones. But once the bevel is set I have had sucess taking a blade to shave ready going from 9 micron dimond paste to DOVO green (5-6 microns) to DOVO Red 3-4 microns to DOVO Black 1-2 mircons, to chromium oxide (.5 microns) to Ferrous Oxide (.1) microns. I use leather as the base for the dimond and DOVO and basla for the Chromium oxide and Ferrous oxide. I have also seen other places people using the same progression but with all dimond paste using leather as a base.
For the most part it is uncharted waters so if your up for trying to find your way on your own you can go the pasted strop way. But if your not pick up a couple of nice hones and the guys here can help you out a ton to get your blades into tip top shape