Thread: Crox on paper

I would like users thoughts on using chromium oxide "crayon" rubbed on paper as a finisher. I rehoned my Dovo "Best Quality" the other morning as follows:
Bread knifed edge on corner of Norton 8k
established edge honing on 4k until I could shave arm hair
40 circles followed by 20?ish x-strokes on 8k
10 passes firmly on the Crox paper edge trailing
20 passes no pressure on the Crox paper edge trailing
Strop 50x on leather




This for me resulted in a very smooth edge, very comfortable shaves. I was inspired by the lapping film folks to try something like this before plunking down big dollars for a finisher.

FYI paper was standard copier paper on dried (and lapped of course) Norton hone.

Oh, and if you cruise both forums, yes I posted the same thing on B&B, I just know that there are some who don't frequent both and wanted to get as much feedback as possible and I guess I found it hard to contain the excitement.

I have never tried this, but there are many variations (CrOx on various hides, linen, webbing, balsa, various other hard woods, etc). I'd surmise that the substrate imparts various characteristics on the edge, and best is often(always?) subjective.

I'm not sure what your goals are here. This is one of many ways to finish a blade...and again the best finisher is also subjective.

Regardless, congrats on getting an edge that results in excitement that is really what it is all about (for me at least)

Originally Posted by unit

I'm not sure what your goals are here. This is one of many ways to finish a blade...and again the best finisher is

Just to get some feedback from others who've possibly tried the same or similar. I don't know if I will ever have enough data points to claim this is the best finisher, it's working fantastically for me, and the cost is ridiculously low. This was a $14 Crox crayon I already had spread thinly on standard copier paper I already had, made flat atop the Norton hone I already had.

do you breadknife every time your razor just needs a refresh? thats losing a lot of steel aimlessly.

i always thought using pressure on crox damaged the razor. i do 4 weight of the razor laps on crox but on wool felt.

Originally Posted by bombay

do you breadknife every time your razor just needs a refresh?

No, my standard refresh up to now was Crox on SRD premium fabric, which kept me going for months after last proper honing. However, the edge finally got to where I felt like it was time to "hit the reset button", so I killed the edge, and made sure it seemed good off the 4k before moving on, really tried to be very deliberate about that step.

To each his own but if I were to be refreshing a bevel I would not bread knife it. needless loss of metal.
Now if I was trying to perfect my technique and wanted to make sure I was starting from scratch, then possibly, but only with an old blade.

I have tried CrOx on cardboard to finish and haven't noticed a difference, but it was not a qualitative investigation.

if you already have a strop with crox i dont see the point in using paper then. my opinion= never tried it, never will

Originally Posted by griff199

No, my standard refresh up to now was Crox on SRD premium fabric, which kept me going for months after last proper honing. However, the edge finally got to where I felt like it was time to "hit the reset button", so I killed the edge, and made sure it seemed good off the 4k before moving on, really tried to be very deliberate about that step.

It seems a bit extreme, the normal advice would be to start honing at a higher grit and work your way back down the grits until you start getting results, well for a refresh anyway. I have only had to use finishing hones and a leather/ fabric strop to keep my razor good.

Originally Posted by bombay

if you already have a strop with crox i dont see the point in using paper then. my opinion= never tried it, never will

Paper laid atop the Norton gave me a guaranteed flat surface, more like a higher grit hone. It was my thought anyway, and it worked well. Moreover, the cost to try it was trivial in terms of material and time.