Made A Paddle Strop With ChrisL's ChromeOX

Hey guys,

Just posting to say I finally made a paddle strop and pasted it using some chrome ox I bought from ChrisL a few weeks back. I used some lumber from a pine bed frame that was heading for the dumpster (planed nice and flat) and some 3" wide 1/4" thick balsa I picked up from a craft store. Glued it to the wood backer using carpenter's wood glue and placed a truly flat square of steel (about 15 lbs) to compress/clamp the balsa to the board. Total stropping length is 12". It's not the most asthetically pleasing paddle strop, but it is sturdy as hell and as flat as they come. I then proceeded to mix up the chrome ox with some mineral oil I use for by razors and pasted the paddle. Well, it's green now:D
I tried a razor on it right away (I don't know if I was supposed to let it soak in or not); 10 laps, then a arm-hair shave, then another 5 and a full test shave. I honestly can't complain. Subsequent shaves from that razor have been very smooth indeed, and it is definitely performing better than it was previously. I do have a couple questions for those experienced with chrome ox on a (balsa) paddle:

1. How often should you use the chrome ox, specifically for a razor that is not fresh off the hones but still shaves?

2. At what point would you refresh the surface of the balsa with some additional chrome ox. Quantity is not a factor as I bought a plentiful amount.

Thanks in advance for any responses on this matter. And also thanks to ChrisL for the great deal on the chrome.

Ryan

Thanks Ryan. Hopefully others will chime in.

I've been using the same piece of chrome ox'd balsa for well over a year. I have yet to feel the need to reapply some oil mixed chrome. I'll say that very recently I've thought about reapplication as the number of passes I used to use for refreshing edges (10-15 tops) has moved into the 25 pass range. A significant portion of the chrome ox'd surface of the balsa is black from oxidized steel, but that has not inhibited the process (the black streaks were apparent fairly early on with no reduction in effectiveness).

On edges that have shaved well off a fresh honing job, edges that give me roughly two weeks to a month of daily shaves prior to losing something, I'll hit the chrome ox balsa I keep in my bathroom medicine cabinet for the 10-15 passes mentioned. Then strop on leather of course and ready to go for another few weeks or a bit longer (depending on the razor).

Good luck with it. I'm sure you'll like it.

Chris L

looking forward to trying trying this myself...

Thanks Chris, that's pretty much what I was thinking too. I'm liking the chrome ox so far.....

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Originally Posted by FreyGrimrod

looking forward to trying trying this myself...

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Frey, I'd say go for it. It's cheap, easy and it works. Before I considered making my own paddle strop I was checking out the models offered by the various vendors. Most cost on the average $45 US and above. Plus shipping, etc. My set-up cost less than $20 including the chrome ox powder, and I had a very enjoyable Saturday afternoon making it.

I love my balsa paddles. Since I got the high grit Shaptons [16K and 30K], I don't use the diamond spray very often but the CrO is used after every honing session and is used for touchup when I feel the edge of a blade is coming off it's top. It varies with the individual blade of course. When my paddle starts showing dark metal on the surface of the balsa I spritz with water and swirl it around with my finger to refresh. Once in a while I will add a few drops CrO to the surface also. I don't worry about it drying. I just go ahead and strop with it. I also like to use about 25 laps like Chris L.

bj

Pics or it didnt happen :)

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Originally Posted by FreyGrimrod

looking forward to trying trying this myself...

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http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...lsa-strop.html

Its easy

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Originally Posted by 2Sharp

I love my balsa paddles. Since I got the high grit Shaptons [16K and 30K], I don't use the diamond spray very often but the CrO is used after every honing session and is used for touchup when I feel the edge of a blade is coming off it's top. It varies with the individual blade of course. When my paddle starts showing dark metal on the surface of the balsa I spritz with water and swirl it around with my finger to refresh. Once in a while I will add a few drops CrO to the surface also. I don't worry about it drying. I just go ahead and strop with it. I also like to use about 25 laps like Chris L. bj

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Do you use powder or paste chrome? If powder, do you use a medium, like mineral oil, or just dry?

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Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

Pics or it didnt happen :)

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I'd love to say I had some pics ready to go, but the USB cable has gone missing. And I'm kind of a 35mm guy.....

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Originally Posted by Ryan82

Do you use powder or paste chrome? If powder, do you use a medium, like mineral oil, or just dry?

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I have the 8oz [I think] water based liquid from Hand American. I think you can still get it from Japanese Woodworker. It spreads very well with a few extra drops of water. That bottle will be a lifetime supply.

bj

Wow...... a little does go a long way. My packet arrived today and I tapped out maybe the volume of a pea into the bottom of a beer can and mixed it up with a few drops of mineral oil applied to a 4"x8" piece of balsa via latex glove. I did not even use all that I had mixed up and may have overpasted! You could drop half of what Chris sends you on the floor and likely still paste two strops or more. That being said I may have to eventually get a tub since it just polishes surfaces so very nicely...

Now I'm just waiting to try the shave....

I now understand what everyone means by the 16k Shapton feeling "harsh".... 25 laps on the CrO and I barely noticed starting ATG :D but YMMV

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Originally Posted by FreyGrimrod

I now understand what everyone means by the 16k Shapton feeling "harsh".... 25 laps on the CrO and I barely noticed starting ATG :D but YMMV

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That's good to know, Frey. And I also agree that a little chrome goes a long way. I bought two packets from Chris and thats plenty. But a lifetimes worth of shaving is also a lot.......

Hey Ryan,

I have a stick of Crox I got from Don and Lynn. It's good stuff. Looks like a giant crayon..Heck, you can probably get a year out of a pasted device, as long as your not honing a bunch of razors daily. I pasted a paddle I bought from Tony Miller. I love the Crox more so than the .25 diamond paste which irritates the hell out of me. It's usually the last thing I do to a freshly honed razor, and possibly the first thing I'll use to refresh a blade that's just starting to go south. I'll try the pastes first, .5 Diamond, then the cro2...If that does it, Great, If not, time to break out the rocks....Rich

Hey everyone, I just got some chrome ox and am going to put some on a paddle strop-

I currently hone up to a 4/8 Norton. Can I go right to the Crox paddle after the 8k or do you guys do an intermediate hone like a 16k?

Adam

You should be able to get a comfortable/serviceable shaving edge off the Norton 8k. If you accomplish that step, then going directly to chrome ox will improve that edge.

Chris L