Thread: interesting thing dawned on me today....

Jimbo,
I think you are quite mistaken. No matter what ANYBODY says, leather removes metal from a blade. You could even probably get an edge onto a blade without stones. Just strops and pastes (ofc there would have to be a bevel). I do think this is a most interesting issue though.

I am not sure to which response you are responding.

But I agree with you that any material can eventually remove metal given enough pressure, strokes and time. Leather is arguably the finest grit we finish with estimated at 60-90,000 grit from the molecular compounds impregnated into the leather naturally and through the tanning process.

Using leather alone to refine a poor bevel would probably take many hours of contiunous work, maybe even days, but I must concede that given enough time some metal can be removed albeit very inefficiently.

one thing i have heard a few times is that coticules benefit from more laps on the linen after honing than other hones.

Stropping on leather definitely removes metal albeit very very slowly. One only need look at my strops to see they are greyed with the many deposits of microscopic metal which has been imbedded. I really believe this slow deposit of metal in the strop is what makes the draw increase over time. Think about shaving and what it does to the edge and you must realize that skin will remove metal. It is a question of how fast or how large the particles are being removed. Hones remove it quickly and skin or leather very slowly but quite perceptibly. I have restored one razor with nothing more than emory/crox/leather. It was a slow process to be sure and not in anyway practical. Since obtaining a Norton 8k I can do the same work in minutes now.
My razors now get the 8k followed by the Crox on leather followed by leather. I can keep a good shaving edge with followups on the leather alone for weeks and then bring it back with a few laps on the Crox finishing with the leather.

The reality is what gives YOU the best shave!

my 2 cents and worth just what you paid
It really comes down to what you find creates a comfortable shaving edge. There are many ways to get to the same destination.