Thread: stropping questions from a newbie

Im just starting to get into straight razor shaving and I want to have half a clue what im doing before I start

I have heard I need to use a strop paste, yet some say I dont need to. which is true if I hone it up to a 12,000 grit hone? and a 30,000 grit hone?

I have also heard people say stropping removes the microscopic teeth, while others say it only straightens them out.

I think both .5 micron diamond paste and CrOx are both approximately 60K grit.

I find the CrOx really smooths the feel of the edge on my face.

Not a requirement exactly. But I like.

A 30k hone is like $400.00. You can get CrOx for about 5 bucks.

Plain stropping does not remove metal except perhaps the linen/canvas will remove loose stuff. Pasted strop will remove metal.

Originally Posted by jeffegg2

I think both .5 micron diamond paste and CrOx are both approximately 60K grit.

I find the CrOx really smooths the feel of the edge on my face.

Not a requirement exactly. But I like.

A 30k hone is like $400.00. You can get CrOx for about 5 bucks.

Plain stropping does not remove metal except perhaps the linen/canvas will remove loose stuff. Pasted strop will remove metal.

so I put the paste on the canvas then, or what?

You do not need a pasted strop for normal stropping of a properly honed razor-- they are really more for touch-ups.

+1 on Ben's post, you should not paste your daily strop. Keep that totally clean for everyday use, and you can use a CrOx strop for touch ups. Theres a sticky in the Wiki on how to make a pasted strop.

Once the razor starts to pull or doesnt shave as well, do half a dozen passes on your pasted strop then go to your daily strop and shave.

IIRC, CrOx is about 30k grit equivalent. A 30k Shapton has written on it that the micron size is 0.49, so 0.5 diamond or CrOx is pretty much the same.

I dont have to use paste if you dont want to. Its quite possible to come from a coticule (which are around 9k-12k) and go right to your daily strop and then shave. TBH you could come from an 8k synthetic like a Naniwa and go right to your daily strop and still get a very smooth comfortable shave. Some people just prefer a pasted edge.

The effect a strop has on the razors edge is called burnishing and it serves to further refine the razors edge. So dont underestimate your strop!