Thread: how essential is strop paste?

Originally Posted by Creel

Okay I'll bite: What pastes, and where do you recommend purchasing the pastes, for the four sided paddle again?

Several dealers sell abrasive pastes, either diamond, chromium oxide or the "old time" ones from Dovo, etc.... When i am up and running again after my winter break i also sell pastes with my paddles in small 2-3 application containers. Not dirt cheap but far less than the typical 5gr, syringes that are a 5 year supply. I just didn'd feel that buying pastes should add up to more than most paddles on the market.

Tony

well said tony he doesnt need any pastes on his daily strop just a good rubbing as said before

You definitely want one strop with nothing on it for use before and possibly during each shave. You could employ a strop/leather conditioner to keep your strop supple, that’s what the neat’s foot oil mentioned by Tony does. However, this is still not “pasting” a strop. When folks paste their strops they are smearing on a abrasive compound that is meant to actually grind or polish the razor as the stropping occurs. It is spread VERY thin over the leather and is by nature a very fine grain size/mesh equivalent. And it will act exactly as a high grit stone, except much cheaper and much easier to use. Yes, you still need the plain strop, but make your own paddle strops and then paste them and you will be amazed how cheaply and easily you just got a killer edge on you blade. .5 micron Chromium Oxide is pretty much the standard around here. I’ve just started pasting with .5 micron and 1.0 micron diamond and to tell you the truth, don’t see any reason for anything other than the CrOx. It really is that good.

so one daily strop with no paste unless i use that oil for maintenance? and then a paddle strop with a certain grit paste? how often would i use the pasted paddle strop?

Originally Posted by sharphands619

so one daily strop with no paste unless i use that oil for maintenance? and then a paddle strop with a certain grit paste? how often would i use the pasted paddle strop?

One daily strop with NO paste and NO oil either unless you live in the desert and the strop dries out.

A paddle, bench strop, etc... storebought or homemade with paste to refresh your edge and/or a hone. The pasted strop is easier to learn on but technically the hone will give a more accurate edge (in the right hands).

Tony

Thank you Mr. Miller =)

Originally Posted by sharphands619

how often would i use the pasted paddle strop?

Seems like I get about 15 shaves on a blade before the CrOx paddle comes back out. (estimated, never counted) Definitely gets the paddle if I stand there thinking “I know this blade was sharper than that …”

Seems like there may be some ambiguity in this thread about whether we're talking about abrasive pastes or strop conditioning paste. My reading of the original question is that he's asking about the latter.

I agree with the excellent posts by Bruce and Tony and others, you don't really need it. Occasional vigorous palm-rubbing usually does the trick. I have a tiny tube of strop paste that's lasted me a couple of years. When my vintage shell strop started to look a little ashen, I put a tiny amount on (a armcuff-button-sized spot in three or four places) and rubbed it in. The thing looked new. But DON'T overdo it, per Bruce.

And don't think it's a necessity, if and until it becomes a necessity.

Abrasive pastes are an entirely different subject, but my understanding is that's not what you're talking about.

I doubt a pasted strop would be needed if you've got a 30k Shapton