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I've been watching various YouTube videos, in regard to honing a blade for the new guy or the non-honing fella.
My question is can I hone a blade just using the various pastes and sprays that I've seen online, and if so what paste should I purchase to place on the underside of a strop?
you can refresh a razor many times by using Chrom ox or iron oxide pastes on the back of a leather strop or as many use a nylon webbing strop .as for doing a complete honing of a razor by pastes I have not used this technique and therefore will leave that to a more qualified person .:) -CAM-
Thanks for the info.
Once the bevel is set...
90% of honing is in the bevel set once that is accomplished then there are a multitude of ways to get shaving.
Pastes of various type are one of them albeit not a hugely popular one around these parts.
The biggest issue that confronts a paste user is that the lower you go in grit the higher the possibility becomes of doing bad things to the bevel (Rounding Frowning) so each way to shave ready has it's own obstacles to overcome..
Yes it can be done, but as Glen says, a lot depend on the condition of the bevel.
If you are just refreshing a chip free edge, .50 or .25 diamond or CBN will get you shaving, CBN will be more comfortable than diamond.
You can go more aggressive with lower grit diamond and Silicone Carbide down to 1 micron, for edges that need more aggressive stock removal.
The problem for most is learning to strop. Most guys that want to avoid honing are new to straight razor maintenance and have yet to master stropping, which is why they need re-honing.
With a pasted strop, you have an abrasive strop, one errant stroke, lifting the spine or flipping while still moving can ruin an edge.
For most a finish/touch up stone is an easier answer.
You can maintain a honed razor, indefinitely with a pasted strop. Maintenance is different from re-sharpening /honing. It is preventing the edge from becoming dull. Most use Chrome Oxide to maintain keenness and smooth an aggressive edge, (straighten an edge, by polishing the bevel). CBN, Cerium and Ferrous Oxide also work well.
I would begin with Chrome Oxide on a separate paddle, one can be made easily and simply by cutting a 3X12 inch piece of inexpensive foam core board and strop the razor once a week or as needed.
Whatever paste you use, uniform grit size and paste purity are critical for razor stropping. Buy quality paste from Razor vendors or from vendors that are known for purity. Do not use garden variety paste used for polishing or tool maintenance, most are not pure and work quickly and well on tool, not razors.
Getting to sharp is easy, comfort is a whole other story.
Euclid440 beat me to it, i was going to suggest the pasted foamboard paddle, just as a touch up though, i would start with a pro honed blade and just teach yourself to maintain it.