Next step in stropping...
Hi all,
I've reached a bit of a confusing crossroads in terms of honing and stropping. I use the Dovo straight with a buffalo horn handle. I hone on a Norton 4000/8000 using pyramids. I strop before every shave on canvas with French strop paste applied to it (the kind in a rectangular bar with a green wrapper) for about 15 rounds and then move onto leather treated with a little mineral oil. This was how the barber at Trumpers advised I do it about 3 months ago. Works well.
I recently got a Wapienica from theinvisibleedge.co.uk to get an idea how sharp I should be getting my straight. It was no sharper than I'm getting my Dovo. In fact the Dovo gives a much better shave.
My main confusion is how to get a better edge. Some people say 0.5 micron diamond, some say 0.5 chromium oxide. Some say canvas with a paste, some say leather with a paste. Some say you shouldn't need any more than a hone and a canvas and leather strop and that the pastes were never meant to go anywhere near a razor edge.
Also I can't find a 0.5 micron chromium oxide powder in the UK for love nor money. Pretty sure the Dovo green paste is not the same. It's 6 microns by my understanding and pretty harsh.
I want to go to the next level with my wetting and shaving but cannot see the wood for the trees. Would be really interested to hear from those who only use a hone and their every day strop and get good enough results.
If it's really possible to get that squeegee action from a blade then I want to achieve that.
Any advice or help greatly appreciated.
Kind regards,
Paul Wood.