Thread: Time for paste? And if so, how?

I'm through my second week of SR shaving with a kit I bought from Lynn A_, Dovo 5/8 & English bridle strop.

I've been stropping both before and after the shave, 15 on the canvas and 50 on the leather.

Problem is that it doesn't feel as smooth or as effortless as it did when I first got it. I haven't gotten too many nicks (went over a pimple this a.m., but no big deal). When I strop, I've been careful not to roll the blade. I did nick the strop once, but fixed it with a pin-head's worth (no, I'm not the pinhead ) of rubber cement.

Should I do something with the green paste stuff on a board to strop it a bit more aggressively? I'd like to get that old sharp feeling back.

I really know nothing about the paste routine, why it's good, how to do it, so I'll take all advice. Thanks!

Originally Posted by Thirdman47

I'm through my second week of SR shaving with a kit I bought from Lynn A_, Dovo 5/8 & English bridle strop.

I've been stropping both before and after the shave, 15 on the canvas and 50 on the leather.

Problem is that it doesn't feel as smooth or as effortless as it did when I first got it. I haven't gotten too many nicks (went over a pimple this a.m., but no big deal). When I strop, I've been careful not to roll the blade. I did nick the strop once, but fixed it with a pin-head's worth (no, I'm not the pinhead ) of rubber cement.

Should I do something with the green paste stuff on a board to strop it a bit more aggressively? I'd like to get that old sharp feeling back.

I really know nothing about the paste routine, why it's good, how to do it, so I'll take all advice. Thanks!

Moved this to the honing forum for more visibility on getting your edge keen. The pastes will help a little as they're a very fine abrasive but if you're just two weeks in then it's hard to say if you should see if adjusting your technique helps, or if it needs to go back to a whetstone.

I'm ahead of you by only a few months. I can sympathize with you since the same thing happen to me. After a month of using my stainless dovo, I notice the sharpness wasn't there any more. I refreshed the edge, with the diamond sprayed in a paddle strop felt (as per the bottle directions). Gave it 10 laps on the felt treated with .50 micron diamond spray, 20 times on the clean felt and about 60 on the leather. The edge came better than before, compare to my comparison razor ( same dovo stainless steel) that I keep for that purpose. The Only problem was that it only lasted about 10 days, subsequent refreshers made no change, until I put it on the stones.

After further reading I found I was stropping too little, doing very little to the edge. After that I change my stropping technique. I put more pressure on the spine, less pressure taunting the strop and use torque to put very little pressure on the edge but enough to make sure the all of the edge is contacting the leather and making a similar sound, while is moving on the strop up and down. Don't know how long it will last, but so far the first week has been holding a sharp smooth edge, after the honing.

That is the advantage of having two razors of the same steel. Both where sharpen by the same guy (Lynn), but one is used for comparison and the other to experiment! Don't be afraid to experiment. Go Slow, do small amount at a time and see what happens. The worst, you send it back for re-honing.

The crome is .25 micron ( I think), try giving it 15 on the crome paddle, 15 on canvas and 60 on leather and see! Remember is an art, not a science. Although some People have it down to a science! Hope that helps Double O

depends how much you want to spend,,paste will work.. But for how long is another matter. You will need a hone sooner rather than later .. some will recomend barbers hones . I have been using a 10k naniwa.. this hone would easily keep your razor going for months .. Its a finishing hone .. It polishers realy well and cuts pritty efective for a 10k... you could do 10 x strokes.. another 10 and so on.. i have experimented with the 10k in the last 3 weeks.. I did 10 laps before each shave by the time i'd done 30 the razor was keen and smooth i carryed on , i got to 70 laps and the razor was still sharp and smooth , just a slight tadge of crispyness.. no signs of over honing , no where near.. I would highly recomend it.. just take your time and go in tens.. you will learn how many laps will work for you. srd stock naniwas .. if you like the 10k you can always invest in the 8k 5k 1k , as and when you need them. grab your self some crox also as final finish after 10k you won't go wrong with 10k naniwa followed by crox .. I'd normaly recomend a coticule but for quik efective touch ups with lesslaps the 10k will work for you ...

gary

Thanks, I'll try Double 07's comment about changing strop technique and putting more pressure on the spine. I think I'm doing that, but as with any muscle memory skill it's a little hard to learn just by reading about it. Kind of like golf.

Shaved with it again yesterday and this morning (2/11 & 2/12). Yesterday's shave was good. No nicks, did two passes, WTG and XTG, except for the throat where I did XTG. Not sure how to do a sideways stroke on the neck. Today's was not as good. I'm trying to stretch the skin more, and maybe that's the trick. It's hard to do that when there's soap on your face, though. I've started to use a dry washcloth to remove the soap traces do that I can stretch the skin better.

Maybe I will pick up one of the naniwa 10k stones. Are the two-grade stones better? For example, I've seen stone combos with 3k and 8k. I've never really honed much of anything since I tried to sharpen my Boy Scout knife back in the 1960s.