Thread: Slightly Confused about Pasted Strops

Do you use pasted strops to strop your razor before every shave or do you just use them as a final finishing "hone" for your razor.

You don't use it before every shave for sure. Some people do use it to finish it off after honing but before stropping. Generally though, it's used to touch up the blade after it starts to noticeably dull. This helps prolong the time between honing.

So this means if I pasted a strop I would have to buy another strop to use for everyday stropping?

Originally Posted by canyon289

So this means if I pasted a strop I would have to buy another strop to use for everyday stropping?

Bingo! Also, when using your pasted strop, make sure and clean the blade very well before moving to your everyday strop. That way you won't gradually end up with two pasted strops by transferring abrasive to your non pasted strop.


-Rob

Pasted strops are used to "touch up" an edge. Generally, when I was not using hones, an edge would need a touch up about once a week. About every 4 months the bevel would need a little work on a hone and the way to tell that is that the razor loses its edge earlier than 7 days and needs a touch up more often. I used a 4 sided pasted strop when I started and it worked out quite well.


Later,
R

I used diamond spray on one of the sides of my linen/leather hanging strop.

Al raz.

I use the Dovo black & red. Red on the linen & black on the leather. Unfortunately not much info on grit, but i like it well enough. I'd like to try diamond spray on felt sometime though. I use it for touching up & for refining an edge after the hones. I'm still no pro on them & although i've got all the stones i need, i just can't achieve the edge i want without the paste yet. It frustrates the hell out of me every time i hone!

A lot of guys like to take a piece of balsa wood and apply chrom ox. Very effective for smoothing out an already sharp edge. Some even use it on newspaper. Hand American makes a flatbed hone with a magnetic top and has magnet based felt or leather to put on them. You can paste with diamond,chrom ox , or whatever your preference is.

Then there are the Tony Miller two and four sided paddles. A lot of good options to choose from, I like Lynn's new hanging felt with the diamond spray best for right now. I always keep a strop free of any added stuff for my regular stropping.