Thread: how essential is strop paste?

i should have asked this question with my last question. but how essential is strop paste? i just got a new strop and i have noo paste for it and i want to try out this strop today. christmas left me broke and id have to order online. is it essential enough for me to hold off for a week? or will i be ok, would just have to add more passes?

Never use it on my regular leather strop and I do fine. I use diamond paste and chrom ox on a felt strop but nothing on my regular strop. Your good to go.

Not really necessary, its just a preferred thing with some guys.

Absolutely, If it's your one and only strop, you need it virgin, no paste, for daily use. Pastes are for minor honing.
You have your Chromium Oxides, TI, and Diamond Pastes, and the Dovo's. For minor touch up, like your blade starts dragging on your skin, You might try the Chromium, or Cro2. Diamond pastes are also popular, you have .025, .5 and 1.0
Most guys use the .5 and the .25, but some complain that it leaves their face irritated, so cro2 seems to be the most popular. So, basically, You need a seperate strop for pastes, maybe multiple if you plan on using different pastes. I recommend Tony Miller highly. He has nice wide paddle strops for pastes. (The Well Shaved Gentleman, Heirloom Razor Strop Company, Straight Razor Shaving Supplier) Most guys on here will tell you the same. He's a real nice guy. His wood components are Amish made, which is cool. Hope this helps,
Rich

all of you are honestly great. the answer comes in quickly. thank you VERY much! im going to get on it right now

sharp,

Rub the strop energetically with your palm before stropping. The oils from your skin will keep the strop in good shape for a long time. If you feel the need to treat it with other things - do so in reserved moderation, like rubbing a few drops of neatsfoot oil (not compound) or something like Lexol into your palm and then energetically rubbing your palm into the strop. The key here is to avoid turning the strop into a grease ball.

strop paste is 100 % NON-essential.

I think most people are too gung-ho with the strop pastes, treatments, dressings, oils, etc. Tanned leather is made to be durable; I don't think that tanneries everywhere are completing the tanning process, except for forgetting to add a few drops of oil...

Just use your strop all you want, and don't worry about much else. Run your palm over the strop up and down every now and then, and it should last quite a while.

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?