Thread: pastes and honing

Can a razor be honed start to finish using only pastes?? and if so what type of pastes would you use to set a bevel. A buddy of mine on a different forum claims a razor can be honed without a hone? just pastes

I know dovo makes several pastes. Red, black and green. Also a yellow that serves as a leather conditioner. Of course diamond sprays work too

They all work to a point but I Doubt you could set a bevel with paste alone.

send him a blunt razor and ask him to paste it for you, then give it a go, if it works keep using it for a while and see if the edge holds.

Back a long, long, long, time ago when I was very young I would drag a knife blade backwards on a stone to try to sharpen it. I would make it shinny but not sharp. it would have a wire edge own it and get dull very quick. when I learned to set the bevel as if I were cutting the stone and finish up on hard stones my knife stayed sharp longer. I don't know but it would seam to me that using paste and strop only would do the same. It may work fine but I think I'll follow Lynn's and others on honing. I know I may never be as good as Lynn or Sixgun or Max but so far I can shave with what I do. If it works don't fix it.

Stick with the stones,,,,,,,,,,,,

Ah yes, knowledge vs wisdom.

Can it be done or should it be done?

Interesting answers here. Ive seen many post about using a coticule to set bevels. Ive never done it. Seems like a long time for me, but guys do it. It may not be main stream, but who knows what a pasted progression would bring. Good or bad. We got one fellow who actually has used it for tools. So I guess its the usual YMMV then. Im not interested in trying it as I have enough hones to do what I want to, but this may be something that at the end of the day may pan out for someone. Im of the opinion of whatever gets you here you want to be. Id love to hear from someone who uses it regularly though.

You may be rights and I agree with you but there are guys that say you can do it.

Im sure it can be done. There are pastes in all micron sizes. I think that the flexibility of the substrate would have a lot to do with the finished edge though. A yielding surface may not be the best to use although Im only guessing.