Thread: Newspaper to follow Shapton 16k?

So, I like the edge coming off my shapton 16k and leather, but I find it still drags a little more than I'd like. I remember reading that the carbon in the ink on the newspaper is similar in micron size to CrOx, and that it can put a fine polish on a razor. Anyone have any experience with this?

I use newspaper after my C12k with great success. Really smooths out the edge, in my experience.

How do you do it specifically. Hanging strop style? Wrapped around a hone?

I've long been a proponent of newspaper. I think it's super. I use it frequently. If there is any harshness to an edge, stropping on newspaper works well to "knock down" or smooth out an edge.

I've always wrapped the newspaper very tightly around a hone taping it down on the underside of the hone. Make sure there is no grit or dust on the hone because you'll feel it when stropping on the newspaper. The inkier the newspaper the better. I usually use a page that has a large photo on it.

The great thing about newspaper is that you can do hundreds of passes and you won't screw up your edge.

Going off a 16k Shapton (a photo of mine has been my avatar for a long time now) I would recommend a good 50 passes on the newspaper. Edge trailing like stropping of course. I still follow the newspaper with pre-shave stropping on a plain leather strop.

If you notice an improvement after 50 passes and want to continue, heck, do 100 passes before the next shave and try that.

Chris L

but I believe the newspaper is approx. 0.1 micron and most Crox is 0.5 micron. Don't know where the Shapton fits in this progression.

Just on a whim I stropped on newspaper yesterday afternoon for the first time on my Bismarck I had just touched up on a coti. About 80-100 on newspaper, followed by the usual linen and leather. No complaints here!

I just take a whole section of my local paper (around 10 sheets) fold in half length wise and then weigh one end down on a countertop and use it like a strop.

The newspaper was nice. Smooth and sharp... just the way I like it!

I had a piece of scrap mirror that I had cut (and the edges rounded) that is about 9x3. I wrap that bad boy tightly with newspaper and it does the trick very nicely. I try to get either grocery ads or the comics sections because of the ink amount... I'm a believer

Originally Posted by 6Myles

I just take a whole section of my local paper (around 10 sheets) fold in half length wise and then weigh one end down on a countertop and use it like a strop.

I like this idea. I'll have to try it.