Thread: Newspaper Stroping

Hey All,

Been reading up and found somewhere that a newspaper can be used as an alternative for stroping.
I'm just trying to understand the dynamics of newspaper stroping.

What does it do? How does it compare to leather, CrO, linene?

Does it matter what type of newspaper used(color. B&W, photo, text, etc...)

When should it be used?

While I already have a Chinese 12k and a Balsa CrO strop I was wondering if adding in a newspaper would do anything?

Thanks.

Originally Posted by ProfessorShak

While I already have a Chinese 12k and a Balsa CrO strop I was wondering if adding in a newspaper would do anything?

As I understand it, the idea is that black ink is slightly abrasive. It was suggested as a way to strop when you don't have a strop. I don't think it would add anything to what you already have.

If I understand well, the newspaper "hone" could be use as the last sharpening-thing before stropping. In your honing routine, it could be used after the 0.5 CrO and before going to the strop (I think it is compared to a 0.1, but I am not sure); but usually it is not needed - I usually don't go finer than 0.5 diamond past.

I think that it can be used something like once every two weeks to maintain the edge, but I don't think that this is really necessary; I prefer to wait and go to the finishing paste or hone; but I only tried once... so I am no expert on this.

The linen can help to keep your edge in a better shape a little longer, but is not really a sharpening tool; you could usually strop on the linen every time you strop. I would say that the newspaper cut "faster" than the linen, but that could be an impression. I usually don't use the newspaper, but strop 60 to 80 times on the linen.

The leather does not sharpen your blade, nor keep it sharp. It gives the blade what I would call a smoothness to make your shave more agreeable. So if you are using newspaper, it doesn't replace the leather.

That's only my 2 cents. Maybe somebody with better knowledge will drop in and correct me if I am wrong.

I have used newspaper to take the seemingly harsh edge off of a blade coming off of a 0.25 micron diamond paste. It is reported to have about the equivalent effect of something in the 0.1 micron range. It worked well enough but I have since begun using 0.5 CrO to finish the blade. It seems to do a smoother job of finish polishing than even 0.25 micron diamond paste. YMMV and all that...

Yesterday I tried stropping on newspaper. I stropped my Wapi on it because I was willing to see what would happen... the Wapi needed to be refreshed and the newspaper did not do that, but it sure helped (I guess...) I stropped 30 laps or so on the newspaper and then arround 100 on leather. maybe it was the leather that did it... but this razor (getting unconfortable...) popped hairs from my arm with no trouble.

Originally Posted by fpessanha

Yesterday I tried stropping on newspaper. I stropped my Wapi on it because I was willing to see what would happen... the Wapi needed to be refreshed and the newspaper did not do that, but it sure helped (I guess...) I stropped 30 laps or so on the newspaper and then arround 100 on leather. maybe it was the leather that did it... but this razor (getting unconfortable...) popped hairs from my arm with no trouble.

If a razor needs a refresh, I would say that newspaper is a bit too subtle.

Originally Posted by netsurfr

If a razor needs a refresh, I would say that newspaper is a bit too subtle.

My point exactly... doesn't make sense to edit the post now... I guess it was the 100 laps on leather. Or too little on the newspaper? I'll try it again with more laps and see what happens...