Thread: Fire Ash II

My experience, since you asked me specifically, is pretty similar to MParker's. I don't find it a problem to paste hanging strops but I don't see a big need for it either. I also agree that they cut a lot, fast. I like having a very fine grit as they cut quickly. I don't like to have a lot of equipment though and pasting my linen nullifies some of the usefullness of the linen to warm the edge up before stropping. The fire ash is a great compromise, it doesn't cut fast at all.

As a side note I've used pasted hanging strops and let them sag while they honed the edge (with .5 CrO) and find they did great. But they very quickly damaged the edge. I only got through about 40 passes before I ran into trouble, but before that the edge was really nice.

I think we over emphasis the damage of rolling an edge with stropping on a hanging strop OR using pressure because so many readers of a straight forum are newbies. If you let a strop sag a little and place a razor on the strop you'll see the actual strop/edge angle isn't very high as long as the spine is flat.

Given that though, I always try to keep the strop flat and taught unless there is some compelling reason not to. And I doubt a good reason would come to mind soon as I think keeping the strop taught and a light touch works, atleast with practice.

I think more people actually roll the edge by raising the spine without realizing it.

Thanks Alan this is helpful info. I have a hanging linen that I salvaged from a ruined vintage strop, so since there's two linen surfaces I was thinking of pasting one. Even if I used chrome oxide, I could do ten swipes on that and then switch to the unpasted side.

But I"m pretty curious to try this ash...

Alright, so I've smoked a big fat Partagas. And saved the ash.

Now what do I do, mix in a little water, make a paste and smear it on to the linen? Sounds like a plan.

I just rub it in like a dry abrasive. No water.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

As a side note I've used pasted hanging strops and let them sag while they honed the edge (with .5 CrO) and find they did great. But they very quickly damaged the edge. I only got through about 40 passes before I ran into trouble, but before that the edge was really nice.

Thanks for clearing that up, Alan. That's pretty much exactly what I figured.

X

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

I just rub it in like a dry abrasive. No water.

Well I read this too late. I have to say though that mixing it with a tiny splash of water made it very easy to spread the partagas-paste thinly and evenly. One side of the linen now looks cleanly and uniformly gray. I used it this morning, and the shave was excellent, but that means nothing because I'd just honed this razor. But I can say with certainty now, there's no smell, none at all. Even if you press your nose up to the linen. It did make a little cloud while stropping, which looked cool but I'm hoping it won't continue to do that...

Originally Posted by dylandog

I have to say though that mixing it with a tiny splash of water made it very easy to spread the partagas-paste thinly and evenly.

Same with my Punch-paste. See how it goes tomorrow...

I wanted to resurrect this thread to hear back from some of the more experienced guys. I've been stropping on ash-pasted linen (20 passes or so) every time I shave. The shaves have been great, but there are a few other factors, the most important of which is that I've just honed a bunch of razors and got some others back from Joe Chandler. So my line-up's in great shape as it is, and I can't really tell for sure what if anything the ash is adding.

But while I have a wiry beard and usually have to refresh after 5 shaves max, my razors now seem to be holding out a little longer...

Mparker and Alan, are you guys using it every day?

I was thinking if ash is fine enough grit, you just might be able to strop on it regularly and not run much risk of overhoning, not really have to 'refresh' as such, and not see any drop in shave quality...

No, I've been distracted by a series of shiny razors landing on my doorstep. But my binge is coming to an end - I did my last shave-test for awhile this morning so I'm gonna to resurrect this experiment starting tomorrow.

No, I use it every Sunday to update my edges. I have so much experience overhoning razors that I can sense when they are nearing overhoned. Every day seems too much to me, but you milage may vary.