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

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!

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.