Thread: Pasters please weigh in

I use mostly hones. I have a chrome-oxed stiff canvas hanger that I use if I need a quick touchup, or if after a couple of shaves I'm not satisfied with my coticule/escher/WOA edge.

But I've never understood this "cheating" concept.

I guess the idea is that pastes are the "easy" way out.

But there are a million threads about the risk of rounding an edge with pasted hangers, about the risk of a harsh edge from diamond pastes, about the risk of wire edges, or edges that shave well but don't last, about how to apply just the right amount (too much leads to dulling), about what sequence of pastes to use depending on the kind of steel and how dull it is, about leather vs. balsa vs. felt vs. linen vs. edge-leading on chrome-ox papers...

In other words the proper use of pastes is as much a skill as the proper use of hones.

Or is the idea that pastes are less traditional?

If so, wrong again. Pasted paddles and hangers were traditional barbers' tools.

I had a beautiful Tony Miller 4-sided with 3, 1, .5, and .25. A traditional razor sharpening instrument if there ever was one. I couldn't master it. I never knew which side to start with on a dulled edge, and wherever I started I'd then go through the whole damn sequence only to find the shave was no good. I found x-ing spine-leading on such a small tool difficult. I sold it after I got a escher & coticule and suddenly everything was so easy: you plop the hone down and hone until the thing's sharp, with no risk of overhoning. And natural hones are pretty forgiving with a newbie stroke (varying pressure, a less-than-flat razor here and there).

Did I cheat by giving up on pastes and turning to rocks?

If you send your razor to a honemeister and specify you want it honed on stones exclusively, and he secretly finishes on pastes, that's 'cheating'. Beyond that unlikely event, I don't see how the idea applies.

+1 to dylandog on that. I don't have any problem with pastes. Doing what works and produces results.... If stroking your razor on fluffy cotton straight from the field mixed with mouse hair produced the smoothest sharpest edge I've ever seen, then you can bet the farm that I'd be out finding a cotton field and setting mouse traps.

Using the internet for class collaboration and communication isn't traditional/conventional, but my life would suck if my professors didn't put stuff online.

Oh, and ebay and craigslist? yeah, forget that. I'm going to post a classified in the newspaper.....

maybe this is only funny to me but whatever. i didn't read this thread until it had hit about 16 posts because i misread the title as saying "pastors" rather then "pasters" and though i have no problem with religion and any thread about it i am not a pastor so i wouldn't be able to weigh in. i can't believe it took me that long to clue in. ha!

interesting thread as i really like my CrOx strop. i just find it really smooths things out. i don't have enough experience to give any real advice about it but i like it. i was real close to buying a 4 sided paddle strop from Tony Miller but the funds went dry and i have the hones to do the job just fine for now. it will be next though.