Thread: 0.5 Diamond AND 0.5 ChromOx?

Ok, paste question:

4-sided paddle strop.
Two sides are 3-micron, and 1-micron diamond pastes.
I've decided to not use 0.25 diamond paste, at least not on my ever first paddle strop.

Is it necessary to use 0.5 micron diamond paste on one side AND then use 0.5 chromium oxide paste on another side?
Or is the 0.5 micron chromium oxide good enough to replace the 0.5 diamond paste? (this would leave one side free to use as a daily, or finishing side)

Sorry if that was a dumb question, I read somewhere that someone used both, and I couldn't for the life of me see why. In what order would you use them, anyway?

The chromium oxide is finer, so it will cut slower. Some people don't like the edge from a diamond paste, so say 10 laps on the diamond and 10 on the chrom ox to smooth it out. If you were just doing the chrom ox, you may have to do 35 passes for the same results. I'm throwing these numbers out so don't take them to heart, but I don't think they are too far off. Some guys don't like the edge from .25 paste and some swear by it. Its all personal preference and something you will have to decide if you like it or not. Its half the fun(or headache) of honing/stropping. If you already have two sides pasted, I personally would use the chromium oxide for the other side. Paste a piece of flattened balsa wood to see if you like the .25. Good luck.

IMO, yes to both diamond and chromium oxide in .5 micron with chromium being last of course.

Oddly enough, I just used .5 micron diamond spray last night to strop a razor finishing with stropping using .5 chrome ox, and this morning was one of the best shaves I've had all year. I'm shocked and actually even a bit perturbed since like I said I've never used diamond paste/spray to date. Why perturbed? I have HAD, and don't want to turn into a paste junkie.

I definitely want to see how long the edge holds up, etc before forming a complete opinion. So much testing with this is in my future.

Chris L

Aha!! Paste acquisition addiction. Do you sip or snort? I do both and am thinking of getting a patch too.

Uh oh, you're a paste junkie, Bruce? I'm not saying I'm one......yet. And, I can't even allude to such a thing within earshot of my stones lest they develop spontaneous cracks out of spite.

Chris L

I had been using the crom ox for awhile and only recently started with diamond paste. Funny how the mind works. I know that the idea is to get the razor as sharp as possible but I felt that going beyond the hone and strop to do it was somehow cheating.

I guess I want to see how sharp I can get off of the hones without resorting to the paste or the cr ox. I have only used them if my first pass left something to be desired. I will lather up and give paste and chrom ox a few licks before the second pass, if necessary. Eventually if I ever get to the point where I am totally satisfied with my honing ability I may lose that prejudice against the pastes.

Originally Posted by JimmyH-AD

I had been using the crom ox for awhile and only recently started with diamond paste. Funny how the mind works. I know that the idea is to get the razor as sharp as possible but I felt that going beyond the hone and strop to do it was somehow cheating.

I guess I want to see how sharp I can get off of the hones without resorting to the paste or the cr ox. I have only used them if my first pass left something to be desired. I will lather up and give paste and chrom ox a few licks before the second pass, if necessary. Eventually if I ever get to the point where I am totally satisfied with my honing ability I may lose that prejudice against the pastes.

Let me know after your first couple thousand razors Jimmy.......



Lynn

Thanks guys!
I think I'm going to go with:

3 micron diamond
1 micron diamond
0.5 micron diamond
0.5 micron chromium oxide