Thread: Help with diamond pastes

I hope this isn't considered off topic but I have a question about pastes and don't want to start a new post and since the pros are already here, here goes.

I love using 0.25 paste but it is a little harsh. What does using 0.5 Chromium do to the edge after you are finished with 0.25 paste? Does it make it duller since it is a higher grit? I have been wondering about this for a while now.

Thanks,
Richard

Originally Posted by riooso

I hope this isn't considered off topic but I have a question about pastes and don't want to start a new post and since the pros are already here, here goes.

I love using 0.25 paste but it is a little harsh. What does using 0.5 Chromium do to the edge after you are finished with 0.25 paste? Does it make it duller since it is a higher grit? I have been wondering about this for a while now.

Thanks,
Richard

That exact question is what made me decide to go with .25 diamond paste instead of CrOx. Now I wish I'd listened...alot of the gurus here say that the CrOx will leave you with a much smoother finish than the .25 diamond paste.

I used to use the 0.25µ diamond paste as a way to get the finest edge to shave with. As my honing skills have improved I find I no longer need it to get a super fine edge. Chromium Oxide should be enough for most anyway.

X

I understand about the 0.25 being harsh and the Chromium being smooth but the question still remains. Does Chromium dull a 0.25 pasted blade? I can sees reasons for both arguments of whether it makes it duller or stays the same but smoother.

Thanks,
Richard

Yes and no. It will initially, but quickly it'll create a wire edge or make the razor over honed.

X

How long do pastes take to dry? I put my new pastes on a wooden paddle strop last night and I think that some paste would come off onto a razor if I used it. Is this normal?

You might have put too much on. usually over night is good enough to let it dry unless you are in a very damp climate. Give it another day and if it's still not dry, you might consider cleaning some of the paste off.

X

Just to clarify .25 diamond paste use...
It is a hit and miss proposition, some razors like it and it will give a smooth VERY sharp edge, actually one of the best you'll ever shave with....
Other razors don't like it and it gives a harsh feel to the edge, thus propagating the often stated "I used it and it felt harsh" post...
As with everything that has to do with this hobby of ours, YMMV because of personal preference...

My personal experience "in general" has been that Spanish and English steel does not respond well to it, where many German and most American steels it works very well with.... There are exceptions to everything though, so the final say is always, your own face....

If you use it though I recommend extensive stropping on linen(50) and leather(100) after, to smooth up that edge....

Another trick to it's use is what you are already discussing, use the .25 shave once then use the .50 Cr and re-strop the razor.... Now that is a smooth edge, try it you might be very surprised with the results...

Does the results that you get with the 0.25 pastes have a lot to do with the hardness of the steel that you are using it on? I am very new at this but the razors that I have used it on that seem to like it are higher end, harder to hone razors that have very hard steel.

Take Care,
R

Hi,
I use the same method on all of my 16 razors (carbonsteel and stainless):
10 laps on the .5 diamond paste, followed by 5 laps on the .25.
The diamond pastes are on balsa wood.
After that, some 10 laps on newspaper.
I end up stroping some 20 times on the canvas, followed by 60 on the plain leather.
If I find that the results are too harsh after the above procedure, I give some 20 laps on a chromoxide induced balsa wood, followed again by linen and plain leather.
The chrome doesn't dull the bevel, it takes only away the "oversharpened" feeling sometimes after the .25 paste.
I will describe the feeling: .25 gives you a "Feather" double edge razor sensation: very sharp.
Chromium gives you a "swedish Gillette" feeling: sharp and smooth.
The step "before" I go to the diamond paste is the use of the broad Thiers Issard paddle strop with diamond/aluminum paste, obtainable from Thiers Issard. It has a 10000 grit and excellent.
The exact name is: "PATE A RASOIR Thiers Issard, Ã l'aluminocyline".