Thread: My Green Monster

Building this green monster taught me some things.

The dimensions are a bit large for a CrOx balsa hone/strop.
It is 4"x32". The base is exterior grade plywood and the
balsa is common hobby shop balsa.

I built it because I felt that a long stroke on a balsa hone
might be an improvement. Thinking it would be especially
good after using a barber hone. So after the glue dried I
applied some CrOx paste and rubbed it in. Then with a
couple paper towels rubbed it to remove the excess and
even out the paste.

Then I honed a razor on a handy barber hone and then
a visit to my new toy perhaps too much but heck it was new.

Feeling excited I promptly retired to the shave den and lathered
up. AND on my first cheek darn *&%#@ not too sharp and
then it dawned on me I had yet to strop it.

Yep I took a short cut and it did not cut well.

Next I pulled down my trusty Illinois 827 and gave it
my normal 30/50 canvas leather stropping.

WOW that was the ticket. The edge was now better
than I ever obtained from that barber hone.

Summary:

• Barber hone + green monster works well.
• Do not take short cuts.

Price was right too.

Man, that's huge! Looks fantastic................but huge!

Cool ! Reminds me of the long Livi loom strop that Lynn had made special. I have a piece of long aircraft balsa and maybe I'll try that.

I would probably chop that up into some more manageable sizes. But that is just me, YMMV

Wow, that's a big balsa strop. You can have two people working on razors at the same time on either end. Good looking build, man.

Do you think there's anything to the common wisdom about CrOx stropping -- that if you use it often, it will actually dull your blades and ruin the bevel? I used to use my CrOx strop a lot (bought from Ray) but then I stopped when I read that I was slowly grinding down the bevel on my razors. But I don't actually know if that's true or not, so I thought someone else here might have some direct experience on point. Thanks.

read this thread..

Pasted Strops "The Experiment" - Straight Razor Place Forums

Originally Posted by JeffE

Wow, that's a big balsa strop. You can have two people working on razors at the same time on either end. Good looking build, man.

Do you think there's anything to the common wisdom about CrOx stropping -- that if you use it often, it will actually dull your blades and ruin the bevel? I used to use my CrOx strop a lot (bought from Ray) but then I stopped when I read that I was slowly grinding down the bevel on my razors. But I don't actually know if that's true or not, so I thought someone else here might have some direct experience on point. Thanks.

Great thread Ben. This post here from another thread is cool too. mparker has done quite a bit of stropping experimentation too. One thing that interests me is the amount of chrom ox to apply for best results. I've read that less is more and I don't dispute that. OTOH, before I had read it I pasted a felt on a flat bed solid green and my Livi loom came solid too. Both work well. Maybe making sure it is smooth with no uneven parts is the answer to that.

I was curious about this too. When you watch Livi hone on youtube, he really rubs it in thick.

I wonder if part of it has to do with what the CrO is mixed with?

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Great thread Ben. This post here from another thread is cool too. mparker has done quite a bit of stropping experimentation too. One thing that interests me is the amount of chrom ox to apply for best results. I've read that less is more and I don't dispute that. OTOH, before I had read it I pasted a felt on a flat bed solid green and my Livi loom came solid too. Both work well. Maybe making sure it is smooth with no uneven parts is the answer to that.

Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

I was curious about this too. When you watch Livi hone on youtube, he really rubs it in thick.

I wonder if part of it has to do with what the CrO is mixed with?

I don't know. I think I read neatsfoot but I can't remember for sure. That honing video of Livi scares me. He definitely isn't a 'weight or the blade' honer.

Originally Posted by JeffE

Wow, that's a big balsa strop. You can have two people working on razors at the same time on either end. Good looking build, man.

Do you think there's anything to the common wisdom about CrOx stropping -- that if you use it often, it will actually dull your blades and ruin the bevel? I used to use my CrOx strop a lot (bought from Ray) but then I stopped when I read that I was slowly grinding down the bevel on my razors. But I don't actually know if that's true or not, so I thought someone else here might have some direct experience on point. Thanks.

Quick and dirty build ... cut to fit. Sanded lightly so no splinters
and then white carpenters glue to hold the balsa in place. No
varnish on the base... nothing fancy.

The common wisdom does not hold water and IMO does not apply
to a balsa hone. I saw a link to Glenn's experiment... good stuff
including the advice to try it yourself.

Like any abrasive CrOx can run from coarse stuff (+5 micron) to
the good stuff (-0.5 micron). Coarse abrasive on a hanging strop
used with a lot of flex and a heavy hand will dull a blade, but we
do not do that.

Sub-micron abrasive no problem and when used with
a solid backing even less so.

And less than five bucks since I already had the CrOx
and the plywood was scrap.

It much improved the result of honing with
a run of the mill barber hone.

And the length is about right...