DOVO sharpening paste

How does this stuff compare to the diamond pastes? I guess I'm looking for a grit comparison if that's possible.

All that the entry at Classic Shaving says is that the red is to sharpen dull razors and the black is to polish/finish the edge. That's a little too vaque for me. :shrug:

I've got razors (eBay razors!) that I have sharpened to the point that most of them will cut a hanging hair, but not really pop them apart like some people describe. I'm thinking that maybe this would give that tiny bit more sharpness.

Don in Ohio

Don,
I have both kinds of Dovo paste, the red and green in tubes and the waxy red and black stuff in blocks (or melted little lumps if you bought them in summer).
I have yet to try either though. I think I recall that they were fairly coarse, maybe 6 to 8 micron. I recentlu made up a few blank paddles for myself to experiment with so I would love to know where these stand.

Tony

Damn, Tony! When I saw the you'd posted a reply, I was sure you were going to have the answer. I quess we both gotta wait for the guy with the answer to show up.

And while I'm here I might as well tell you that I really like the strop I got from your eBay auction. I don't see why it's a second, but I'm not complaining!

Don in Ohio

I just finished reading all the relevant articles at classicshaving on this subject but did not find any numbers for the red & black pastes. The red is probably 4-6 micron iron oxide and the black is probably 2-3 micron graphite. I believe the graphite breaks down eventually with use.

The other set of Dovo pastes does have micron sizes specified.

Just my two cents,

Found this in my saved stuff from Yahoo group:


From the Dovo Paste
page on the Classic Shaving website...

"Green Sharpening Paste is the coarsest with a particle size
averaging 6 microns and should be used on a very dull edge.

Red Sharpening Paste is less coarse with a particle size of 2-4
microns and will refresh a mildly dull edge.

Yellow Paste has no sharpening qualities and is used as a leather
strop conditioner on your "everyday use" strop.

White Paste is used as an edge polish on the LINEN STROP ONLY!"


Nenad

And also a reply to a sumgai's named Randolph H. Tuttle ;)

Richard Reed wrote: I recently asked
Ray at
> Classic Shaving where the Dovo pastes fit in
> the whole pasted strop scheme of things, the following was part of
> his reply...
>
> "The DOVO pastes use different cutting agents - Red uses Iron
Oxide,
> Green Chromium Oxide, Black uses Graphite.
>
> While all of these elements are effective cutting agents some are
> more coarse than others and some are harder than others. The
Chromium
> oxide being the hardest, next the Iron oxide, finally the Graphite.
> Therefore the Chromium oxide will cut fastest, next the Iron, and
the
> action of the Graphite is essentially more of a polish."
>
> For those of us that are still trying to find our way through all
the
> various hones, grits, micron sizes, pastes, etc., I felt this was
> good info and worth passing on.
>
> Richard

That's the same info I found eventually. I would guess that the cake style red is the same stuff as the red in a tube but just in the original "old timers" format when only red and black was used. I have seen lots of old paddle and loom strops with only red and black sides. The green chromium oxide is likely a newer idea.
I have the pastes and a bare strop, I guess I should try the green, red, black combo and see how it does.
Tony

I spoke with HoekmanX yesterday and he searched some German razor forums. Combining his findings with classicshaving's here it is.
Dovo Red - Hard or tube - 2-4 micron
Dovo Black - one micron
Dovo green - 6 micron
TI paste - 2 micron

All of these numbers sound reasonable to me. The black was tested some time ago and I believe it is in the files over on the Yahoo site. The green corresponds to what I can buy from Formax Mfg for honing woodworking tools. The red tube is specified on classic shaving and the red hard was guesstimated at 2-4 on the german forums. The TI is specified on classicshaving.com

So the progression would be
Dovo Green - 6 ( chrome oxide)
Dovo red -2-4 (iron oxide)
TI paste - 2 ( aluminum oxide and diamond)
Dovo black - 1 (graphite)

Somebody put this is the files OK?

Hi,

sorry to rain on your parade, but when purchasing my last paddle strop in a local store they had one with green paste and one with red paste on one side. When checking for the coarseness the red paste side was considerably coarser than the green side, at least from the feel.

I know the numbers from the forums, still from my look'n'feel experience I would judge differently.

I just sent an email to Dovo to get information on this, I'll report back when I get their reply :)

Best wishes,
-Axel-

And hi again,

okay, I stand corrected. The official information from Dovo confirms the grading above - they could not explain, why the "feel" on the strops is different, but this of course does say nothing for the pastes themselves.

Just my 2 cents,
-Axel-

Just a word of warning to anyone overlooking the fact that these numbers apply to DOVO pastes. Do not judge all abrasive pastes by their color. For instance, I have a black paste from Keith at HandAmerican that is 1.8 micron and a green chromium oxide (same source) that is 0.5 micron.
FWIW,
Ed

Are pastes something that a person really needs, or are they a personal preference kind of thing? I'm starting to hone myself and was wondering if I need something other than the Norton 4K/8K or the various barber stones that I have.

Do most people use one vs. the other, or both? Sorry if this has been asked before, but I have done a fair amount of searching the archives and it so packed with information, it's actually easy to miss some things unless your prepared to spend a lot of time....

Thanks!

Chris,

I think you would find that you will get many various responces to this. I can only tell you what I have. I have a Norton 4k/8k a Japanese 12k and a flat leather hone that I use CrO2 .05 paste on. Do I need all of them I don't really know, some razors are fine coming off the Norton 8K others I like better after the whole deal. My advise start small and build as you find you need. Don't go crazy right away you will get there in time.:D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by RichZ

Chris,

I think you would find that you will get many various responces to this. I can only tell you what I have. I have a Norton 4k/8k a Japanese 12k and a flat leather hone that I use CrO2 .05 paste on. Do I need all of them I don't really know, some razors are fine coming off the Norton 8K others I like better after the whole deal. My advise start small and build as you find you need. Don't go crazy right away you will get there in time.:D

---

Thanks Rich,

I'm actually trying to figure out what I need to get a razor shave ready. If a Norton 4/8 and a finishing stone is all I need great. But, like many here, I'm sure I'll want more just because....

Crr,
You just hit the nail on the head. You don't really need one over the other. Many start with the Norton, many start with pastes and for each it is usually all they need. I didn't use a hone until 2 months ago. But, after a while you get board, read a few posts, and dang! you need the thing you don't have <g> Hmm, if the Norton gives this good an edge maybe I can make it better with pastes..........or you love the pastes and just have to know how a hone would do.

Pick one, learn it well then try something new.

Tony

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

Crr,
You just hit the nail on the head. You don't really need one over the other. Many start with the Norton, many start with pastes and for each it is usually all they need. I didn't use a hone until 2 months ago. But, after a while you get board, read a few posts, and dang! you need the thing you don't have <g> Hmm, if the Norton gives this good an edge maybe I can make it better with pastes..........or you love the pastes and just have to know how a hone would do.

Pick one, learn it well then try something new.

Tony

---

Thanks Tony for the reply. I have started to aquire some hones, so it looks like that will be the first stop on the HAD. Is there a Hone Acquisition Disorder?

If I'm infected with another disorder I may not survive.

Its great to have options. Pastes and strops are great when your starting out. Hones are great when you know how to hone. I think everyone should consider one strop or strop like object with one paste, like .5, I mean where do you find a hone at that grit? Its great to put that smooth edge on...need it? Probably not. I love having atleast one barber hone. For me its just like toys. I want another hone!

Corrected my post to explicitly state the "Dovo" pastes.
Sorry for the oversight.

hello everyone,
ive just bought my first straight and now im thinking about buying a 4 sided strop.
So im wondering how would a 4 sided stop with dovos green, red and black pastes compare to a strop with 3, 1, .5, diamond paste ? (4th side on both would be chrom. oxide). I dont have a hone yet but dont plan to restore razors, just want to maintain the edge of my current one. Could somebody who's used both recommend one ? maybe tony miller ? you said you owned both, but didnt tell us which are better...

oh, i forgot about the thiers issard paste... how does it compare to the diamond pastes and the dovo ?

It's basically 1 micron aluminum oxide, and is very similar to 1 micron diamond. But it's pretty inexpensive, and the crayon is pretty convenient to apply and takes up very little space in your bathroom drawer.