Thread: Pastes for 4-sided paddle strop

How much do you really need the 3 micron diamond paste?

Following what most people advice, I am thinking of a TM 4-sided paddle strop for edge maintenance. The choice, it seems, boils down to:

3.0, 1.0, 0.5, 0.25 diamond
3.0, 1.0, 0.5 diamond, 0.5 chromium
1.0, 0.5, 0.25 diamond, 0.5 chromium

Most people seem to just use the smaller grits, 0.5 and smaller, to refresh the edge. If the 3.0 is not something essential, I'd prefer the last option. Or am I missing something?

What would you get?

3.0, 1.0, 0.5 chromium, and plain.

Haven't bought one yet, but that's what I'd pick.

I've seen some say that the 0.25 edge needs refreshed a bit too often. Probably a trade-off for the extra sharpness? Probably a personal preference thing too.

I went with the 3, 1, 0.5, 0.5 chromium. Got an email from Paypal that Tony printed my shipping label at 4am today.

Tony, you are working too hard. <g>

I very much recommend the 3.0 micron.

Here is what Tony's first production 4-sided Heirloom Vintage Pasted Paddle Strop looked like when I received it in December:

The pastes on this are 3.0, 1.0, 0.5, and 0.5 chromium. Half of the 3.0 side is now black from metal particles from the restoration razor I was working on.