Thread: More Regular Upkeep

If you're refreshing on a pasted paddle strop or a bench hone, I don't see the need for another stropping.

I give it a swipe on my towel, just to get any grit off of it. But basically you strop on the hanger, strop a few laps on the paddle, wipe and start shaving.

I refresh my razors when they begin to pull (every 4-5 shaves) on a coticule, maybe 5-10 laps depending on the razor. I also strop after shaving to make sure there is no water left on the blade edge.
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Originally Posted by mparker762

I give it a swipe on my towel, just to get any grit off of it. But basically you strop on the hanger, strop a few laps on the paddle, wipe and start shaving.

Why hanging strop 1st and then a paddle strop? Do you use a paste on either one?

If you're refreshing the blade you want to align the edge before you start polishing it with the abrasive.

Originally Posted by Kees

Why hanging strop 1st and then a paddle strop? Do you use a paste on either one?

Yes, the paddle has an abrasive. By stropping on the hanger first I make sure the fin is already aligned so the abrasive paddle doesn't grind it off on the first stroke. This way it doesn't take nearly as many laps to refresh the edge (only 2-3).

It's probably not as big a deal if you strop after the shave, or if the blade has rested a few days so the fin is nearly straight. But I have accidentally put an unstropped blade on the abrasive paddle and knocked off enough of the edge that the razor had to go back to the 4k -- I knew as soon as I pulled the razor across that something was wrong, it felt kind of sandy instead of smooth the first few inches and that was that, it was time for the hone.

I've heard of people doing a pasted-paddle sequence of .5 micron, .25 micron, and then chromium oxide (which I understand to be equivalent to .5 micron). Can someone who does this (or understands it) explain to me the logic of going all the way down to .25 and then back up again to .5?

Handamerican claims CO is 60k grit, at least that's what my tube says. Since 15k grit is about 1 micron, maybe people are thinking that 30k grit is .5 micron so the CO is .25 grit as well? AFAIK it's only 0.5 micron and I've always thought that the discrepancy was due to different grit rating systems.

Originally Posted by dylandog

I've heard of people doing a pasted-paddle sequence of .5 micron, .25 micron, and then chromium oxide (which I understand to be equivalent to .5 micron). Can someone who does this (or understands it) explain to me the logic of going all the way down to .25 and then back up again to .5?

The reason has to do with the shape of the abrasive particle's and their effect on how the razor's edge feels on your face. For me the 0.5 CO edge feels better on my skin. YMMV.