Thread: 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.

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-