Thread: 12,000K, Bench Strop, or Hanging Strop?

I have seen at least one post which implies that the Norton 4000/8000 waterstone is the only hone one needs to put a decent edge on a moderately-worn razor. However, they usually recommend stropping with paste. Accross the web I see buzz on the 12000 grit hone (often DMT) as a necessity, while others recommend a well-pasted bench strop as the finishing panacea. What I already have is a good hanging strop with linen on the other side. Since I don't know if I want to buy another strop, or another hone, 1. What disadvantages does anyone see to this plan (4000->8000->Linen->Pasted Leather) compared to (4000->8000->Pasted Bench Strop)? ​

Also, I use my strop after every shave. 2. If I finish honing on a pasted strop, should I avoid using that strop every day (would it remove more metal than necessary)?

3. Do I even need the paste on the leather if I use the linen side first?


​Thank you.

It isn't an "Implication" it is a fact

http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...on-2012-a.html


A pasted strop is a seperate strop from your everyday strop..

Many people in the past recommended using a piece of finely sanded Balsa as a test platform, to see if you even like a paste since it is so cheap and easily available..

I have Leather bench strops and Leather hanging strops for pastes, personally I like the Bench strops better but honestly there is probably little difference in the results.. How often you use one for "Touch-up" will have to be worked out by trial and error..

there are also differnces in the CrOx so make sure you get it from somebody that uses it on SR's, the bars at the Hardware stores are not near pure enough for SR's at least not my SR's


Not sure what 12k you are thinking of but DMT doesn't make one AFAIK

The DMT that gets the most airplay is the 325 plate, useful for lapping hones. The 12k hone most folks post about is the Naniwa.

A pasted strop should not be used daily; it will round your edge and require more frequent bevel resets. Just use it when your razor starts to pull instead of slice. Your shave shouldn't require more force than it does to remove the lather; when it does, then it's time for a touchup.

I lean toward touchups on hones, since that maintains your bevel shape better than a pasted strop. My Naniwa 12k is a great solution to a pulling blade. It's a surprisingly fast hone for as fine as it is.

To answer your questions specifically,

1) You should be stropping on linen then plain leather before each shave anyway. The linen passes ensure that the bevel is clean before you go to the leather. For the occasional touchup, I'd lean toward a pasted bench strop, since it'll be a guaranteed flat surface. Your hanging strop won't be quite as flat, so would round over your bevel a little more quickly than would the bench strop.

2) Correct, a pasted strop is overkill for daily stropping. Stropping isn't about abrasion as much as it's about aligning the microscopic teeth along your edge.

3) Theories abound. As I understand it, untreated linen is mainly for ensuring the bevel is clean before you go to the leather. It's also important to strop after shaving, before putting your blade away, to strip off any microcrud that could be left along the edge. It only takes a day for a moist speck to create a very sad little pock of corrosion.

In my own experience, I think that actual linen is finely abrasive. Not every "linen" strop is really linen; the term gets used generically. Is real linen a replacement for paste? That ventures back into the realm of opinion. Depends on what you expect of the paste, I guess. The only pasted strops I have are hard felt on a paddle strop.

I hope this adds more clarity than supposition...

Thank you, that really helps a lot!

Originally Posted by roughkype

The DMT that gets the most airplay is the 325 plate, useful for lapping hones. The 12k hone most folks post about is the Naniwa.

A pasted strop should not be used daily; it will round your edge and require more frequent bevel resets. Just use it when your razor starts to pull instead of slice. Your shave shouldn't require more force than it does to remove the lather; when it does, then it's time for a touchup.

I lean toward touchups on hones, since that maintains your bevel shape better than a pasted strop. My Naniwa 12k is a great solution to a pulling blade. It's a surprisingly fast hone for as fine as it is.

To answer your questions specifically,

1) You should be stropping on linen then plain leather before each shave anyway. The linen passes ensure that the bevel is clean before you go to the leather. For the occasional touchup, I'd lean toward a pasted bench strop, since it'll be a guaranteed flat surface. Your hanging strop won't be quite as flat, so would round over your bevel a little more quickly than would the bench strop.

2) Correct, a pasted strop is overkill for daily stropping. Stropping isn't about abrasion as much as it's about aligning the microscopic teeth along your edge.

3) Theories abound. As I understand it, untreated linen is mainly for ensuring the bevel is clean before you go to the leather. It's also important to strop after shaving, before putting your blade away, to strip off any microcrud that could be left along the edge. It only takes a day for a moist speck to create a very sad little pock of corrosion.

In my own experience, I think that actual linen is finely abrasive. Not every "linen" strop is really linen; the term gets used generically. Is real linen a replacement for paste? That ventures back into the realm of opinion. Depends on what you expect of the paste, I guess. The only pasted strops I have are hard felt on a paddle strop.

I hope this adds more clarity than supposition...