Thread: how essential is strop paste?

I agree, do nothing to your daily strop. Rub it with the hands before each use but otherwise leave it alone. I used to include Neat's Foot Oil with with the strops I make but people simply would over do it. It was supplied "just in case"...ie, dry climate, etc... but for the most part any will be fine. I have been using some of my same Latigo strops for 4 years now and still have added nothing.

Pastes are for paddles and the extra hanging strop is used with care, not for daily use.

Tony

I am with the rest of the guys. Nothing on your daily strop. For a year now I have used pastes on a four sided strop every 14 shaves or so to sharpen. Coming off a 0.25 diamond paste a virgin strop is necessary to calm things down and give the razor a nice smooth edge.


Later,
Richard

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

I agree, do nothing to your daily strop. Rub it with the hands before each use but otherwise leave it alone. I used to include Neat's Foot Oil with with the strops I make but people simply would over do it. It was supplied "just in case"...ie, dry climate, etc... but for the most part any will be fine. I have been using some of my same Latigo strops for 4 years now and still have added nothing.

Pastes are for paddles and the extra hanging strop is used with care, not for daily use.

Tony

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

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

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 …”