Thread: Paste Type...again

Originally Posted by Razorburne

What are the pros and cons of getting a 2-sided bench hone vs. a 4 sided paddle strop? What would be your personal choice if you had to choose one or the other and why?

Coming off of the Norton 4k/8k, what would you go to on a pasted -
1.0 then 0.5?

Do you guys prefer chomium oxide or diamond...why?

Tony's bench hones are over 3" wide so you don't "have" to use the X pattern. The paddle strops are a lot norrower. I find it much easier to control the pressure with the bench hone.

For the most part I like the boron carbide and the chromium oxide. The razors I got from Bill Ellis had some of the smoothest shaving edges I've experienced and, based on the info in his CD, I think he generally goes from the 8K to the boron carbide then the chromium oxide bench hones. This is working well for me so far.

Jordan

Ditto on the boron carbide and chrome oxide. I don't use the boron carbide much since I've fallen back in love with my 15k shapton, but if all I had were the norton and paddles then I'd be back on the boron carbide boat in a hurry. I do use the chrome oxide after the 15k shapton.

The only thing I like the diamond paste on are TI's. They just seem to respond a bit better to diamond.

can you pm me as to where to get boron carbide i have been looking for that is is 11k right

After the 16K Shapton glass hone, I still thought my edges weren't quite right.THEN, I received my first "Custom" razor- a Joe Chandler 5/8 roundpoint. WOW-what a wake up call-NO DOUBT,my other razors were not nearly up to THAT standard-now I KNEW I had to step up my game a bit. I built a 2 sided balsa paddle strop that is pasted with .5 micron dp on one side and .25 micron dp on the other.

After the stone, I go with 5 passes on each side of the balsa strop- .5 and then .25 then I go to about 10 very light strokes on a leather bench strop with .5 micron dp.

And finally, right before my shave, I go 20 strokes on the linen and 50 on the leather hanging strop. My shaves have been so much better.AND give me the "velvet squeagy" action the Chandler provided.

I have found that with CrOx, the more the better-but the diamond pastes are so aggressive cutters, I really think LESS is MORE. I had initially resisted going to the .25 micron ,because many had stated the edge produced were "too aggressive". Maybe its the addition of the pasted leather-but my results have been so good as of late- I really hate to change anything. Serendipity is truly wonderful.