Guidelines for pastes

I'm getting the 1 and .5 micron diamond pastes to supplement my still-developing skills on the Norton.

What would be a good place to start out as far as number of passes on each grit?

My razors pass the HHT in some cases, and in others they cut most of the way through the hair without snapping it cleanly.

I plan to use cardboard for a strop until I can get a paddle strop from Tony next month.

Also, how much paste should I use? I'm getting the syringes from Classicshaving.com. Is there enough paste in them for several applications? If not maybe I'll wait until I can get the paddle...

Thanks,
Josh

There's enough in those syringes for a lifetime. You just need a drop or two, smeared very thin.

I normally start with 20 rountrip laps on each grit then test shave.

Try and dilute the pastes 50/50 with some type of oil before spreading it on the paddle strop. Two pea sized drops of each should be sufficent. Apply that twice.

For razors already sharp, I would only recommend up to 10 strokes at a time on the .5 micron paste. I normally don't use the 1.0.

Lynn

Keep in mind that the pastes will cut differently on cardboard than they will on leather or wood, so you'll have to do a little experimentation yourself. Do 5 strokes then test, that sort of thing.

I got my diamond pastes today, and I got some balsa wood to give them a try.

I used about 10 little dabs, each smaller than a BB, spread out on a piece of wood the size of my Norton.

I hadn't read these posts before I tried it out on a razor, so I did about 40 laps on the 1 micron and 40 on the .5. It was definitely a big improvement over my self-honed edge.

I have another question though: Does the paste get "full"? I'm noticing that the 1 micron paste is already looking gray in spots.

When it gets black, should I throw away the wood and start over, or can I apply more paste over top of it?

Looking forward to getting one of Tony's paddle strops...

Thanks,
Josh

Yes, it colors quickly. Even after it gets black it will still sharpen just fine, keep using it till it stops working, which should be months to a year. Then smear some more paste on top of it and keep going.

Cool. I just used the pastes on my favorite razor and it is now terrifyingly sharp. I can't wait to try it out tomorrow, although I have a feeling I'll need to be a little more careful than usual.

Josh

That paste will keep on going even when completely black. The good news is that the subsequent applications down the road go on far easier and take less paste than the first shot. Usually the leather is pretty absorbant and sucks up the paste.
By the way, the paste that I use and what Classic sells (or sold a year ago) is water based, not oil. Check the numbers on the tube, something like WS will be there with the grit and tube size.

Tony

After it does get all black and filled with metal, should it be cleaned up before reapplication of paste?

Nope, just smear some more on and keep going. You can clean off the old stuff if it really bothers you, but it isn't necessary.

Thanks MP. I am just too used to using regular hones where grit-clogging is the big enemy.