Thread: When you get tugging or pulling

Is stropping adequate or is it time for a retouch using a stone?

At that point people will use a pasted strop or touch it off on their finishing hone pending preference and equipment.

If the pasted strop does not work then you will need to drop down to the hones.

Originally Posted by pfries

At that point people will use a pasted strop or touch it off on their finishing hone pending preference and equipment.

If the pasted strop does not work then you will need to drop down to the hones.

What he said. Definitely time for a touchup.

What do you have for hones/pasted strops?

I have a piece of balsa with chromium oxide on one side and iron oxide on the other that i got from Larry at whipped dog and an Ezy Edge razor hone made by Pike.

I would do a few laps (around 5-7) on the CrOx,
IIRC the iron oxide is at around .1 micron and you could use it after the CrOx.
I would try The CrOx and test, if that works and you want to proceed to the Fe2O3 go ahead and give it a whirl.
If not you can try a few more passes on the CrOx and if that won't get the edge back for you it is time for the stones.

Tugging and pulling may mean it needs more than a slight touchup with paste. if I let one of mine go that far I would go right to a hone.

If using chromium oxide, do u apply it to canvas or leather side of a strop? I recently got some along with Dovo green. When my recently honed razors start needing them, which should I go to first?

Originally Posted by ffarouki

If using chromium oxide, do u apply it to canvas or leather side of a strop? I recently got some along with Dovo green. When my recently honed razors start needing them, which should I go to first?

Chrome ox is fairly versatile, it can be used on leather, canvas/linen, balsa, newspaper etc. I use it on balsa with great results. Just remember, whatever medium you choose once it is pasted it will always be pasted.

As for Dovo green paste, I've never used it but from what I understand it is their coarsest paste and should only be used on a very dull edge.

Considering your razor was previously shave ready use the chrome - sets of 5 until sharp. I wouldn't go beyond a 12-15, at the most.

Originally Posted by FrankD

Is stropping adequate or is it time for a retouch using a stone?

It depends on the condition of the edge, but often a careful stropping will restore the edge. Please note that I said careful stropping. Not necessarily fast, nor frantic, nor with an excessive number of laps, but carefully focusing on what is happening at the edge of the razor in order to bring back the sharpness and smoothness.

FrankD,
You are at a threshold, once crossed, from which there is no return. Make the wrong decision and within weeks no one will recognize you. Make the right decision (and here it gets dicey because there is no right decision) you will find you life slowly dripping, drip, drip, drip into this gigantic inland sea called the SRP.

Originally Posted by FrankD

Is stropping adequate or is it time for a retouch using a stone?