Thread: If you could only buy one...

Originally Posted by Martin103

Are you saying that pasted strops changes the geometry of a razor?

Compared to the amount of metal that's removed by an escher on clear water, yes. Compared to the amount that's removed by a 1000 stone, no.

presume the way you responded, there's some prior argument on here about it. I'm not interested in it if there was one, and i'm not interested in it now. The important part of the discussion above is the carbides. If you want to point the thread in a different direction, maybe start a different thread.

Originally Posted by DaveW

The important part of the discussion above is the carbides. If you want to point the thread in a different direction, maybe start a different thread.

The original poster wanted a suggestion on hones, nothing about carbides. I just felt that you were condeming the op to the use of pasted strops.
And BTW honing a carbon steel VS stainless steel is relatively equal, the stainless might require a little more polishing, and that not only from my personal experienced its from many very experienced members as well.

When the razors are finished only on the stone without any aluminum oxide, chromium oxide or diamonds following a natural hone, the edge simply won't be as good. The carbides in the steel are harder than natural abrasives. It might be a good edge, but it won't be as good as the same edge will be on carbon steel. It is extremely well known elsewhere, but there seems to be an absence of talking about it on here for some reason. I see sellers of razors (TSS etc) mentioning that they can't tell the difference in edges between stainless and carbon, and I can only gather from that that those folks are either using a modern abrasive, or they are not sharpening any of their razors very sharp with a natural stone.

I don't think there's anything wrong with maintaining a razor with pastes.

If you intend to touch up your razor only with the finest stone you have (which is what I like to do) and you are only "getting one stone" as the OP is mentioning, then it is better to touch up the razor with the hone than it is to use pastes, unless the pastes are used very sparingly, and with very light pressure.

For a razor that doesn't see pastes, 20 laps on a finish stone once a month is all that's required. Add in a couple of touch ups with a pasted strop between, and that's not true, and how far from true it is depends on how aggressive the paste and how aggressive the stropper.

But if ya get fine shaves with out the pastes.
I don't even see the need to mess up a nice strop with the pastes.
Well i have to be honest one doesn't need the number of manmade and natural razors hones
that i got to choice from.

Originally Posted by DaveW

When the razors are finished only on the stone without any aluminum oxide, chromium oxide or diamonds following a natural hone, the edge simply won't be as good. The carbides in the steel are harder than natural abrasives. .

So the carbides in steel are harder then diamond?

Originally Posted by Martin103

So the carbides in steel are harder then diamond?

I thought stainless steel alloy bad choice for razors for it
reseists the abraisive action of the nice stones.

Originally Posted by Suile

I thought stainless steel alloy bad choice for razors for it
reseists the abraisive action of the nice stones.

My point exactly. I just recently bought a bunch of friodur and friodur blank based razors, and they are lacking off the natural stones without a follow up from some synthetic abrasive. They also seem to be a bit softer than the harder tempered carbon steel razors. Not to say they can't shave well, they can, but I am a bit disappointed compared to my better carbon steel razors that can easily be brought to weeper sharp with anything escher or finer.

How many natural diamonds have you used to sharpen a razor? None. But that's beside the point, I'm talking about stones.

Of course diamonds are harder than carbides, but we are talking about stones that would finish a razor, and diamonds are not included in any of them unless I've missed a new 0.25 micron diamond stone (I haven't). It is also extremely unlikely anyone is using natural diamonds on razors.

Name the popular natural stones that we're left discussing, and tell me which of them has abrasives harder than chromium carbides and vanadium carbides. If you have an abrasives softer than the carbides, all you can hope to do is wear carbides down with excessive strokes or hope that the carbides are all smaller than the abrasives.

Are the good old oil stones a good choice for the vintage straights i have that are marked
blue steel. Cause they cut those good. but sometimes they cut other razors super super slow.

Originally Posted by Suile

Are the good old oil stones a good choice for the vintage straights i have that are marked
blue steel. Cause they cut those good. but sometimes they cut other razors super super slow.

The novaculite hones with no pores should have almost unlimited potential with old carbon steel razors (including anything called blue steel), if you have the patience to allow the novaculite to become dulled, and the the subsequent patience to use the dulled novaculite.