Thread: Baking Soda as a strop abrasive?

Good day,

When I ordered my first straight razor, I also ordered 2 hanging strops and one stropping board (with leather surface) and a small tube of red Dovo paste. I have not used the red Dovo paste yet, but I was thinking of trying it this weekend with the spare stropping board.

Based on what I've read here, it seems that the red paste is considered fairly coarse, and perhaps not the best finishing option for a blade. I was thinking of other mild abrasives that I might be able to use after the red Dovo paste, and the thought of Baking Soda crossed my mind... I've read on one knife forum that it was described as a "very fine polishing or stropping compound" but how well would it work on a stainless steal straight razor (Dovo Inox)?

I know, I know, black Dovo or CrOx is probably a better option, but I'm still curious to know if anybody has ever tried baking soda on a strop, and how it worked out?

At the risk of getting side-tracked with two topics in the same thread, does anybody here use red Dovo only, then directly to regular cloth/leather for a shave?

Thanks in advance!

Welcome to SRP. I've never tried baking soda as a strop abrasive, nor have I heard of its use as such. Might be very good though, and there may be someone along who has experience with it. What I will say is that I reserve a linen and leather hanging strop clean of any added abrasive for a daily driver. I keep an SRP modular paddle with various magnetic leather and felt for abrasives but only use them rarely. So I'd suggest a clean linen/leather with the abrasive of choice on alternative strop surfaces. IMHO.

Has anyone used autosol as a stropping medium ?

Snail mucous works well I have been told.Also pollen from elm trees.

First, welcome to SRP. Second, I agree with Jimmy on a dedicated strop. Third, is that your only straight? I will give a word of caution experimenting with your ONLY straight. Always helps to have a 'control' razor that is untouched. Experiment away!

You really need to match your paste to your final stone.
If you are honing to 12 k it would be logical to not use anything coarser than .5 micron pastes or sprays altho the embedability of leather as a strop medium would reduce the aggressiveness of coarser pastes.

Just a WAG but Autosol & most metal polishes would be coarser than 0.5 micron.

I also have no idea how you could load leather with baking soda.

Haven’t tried baking soda, but have tried all kinds of other powders with varying success.

But, really there are many better options that are not expensive and are proven polishers, having been used for years, Chrome, Ferrous, and Cerium Oxide, Diamond and CBN on the pricier end.

While you could possibly use a generic abrasive powder like soot, chalk, graphite or any other fine abrasive powder with success the problem is the consistency and abrasiveness of the grit.

Just one larger or harder grit can ruin the edge, again proven performers like quality Chrome and Cerium Ox are not expensive and more importantly consistent performers.

Some polishes work I have had good luck with MAAS on a nylon strop again it's about consistent grit size.

Not recommending it but it should be easy to make a thin paste with baking soda and water and then just painting it on with a brush.

Not sure but I think I saw Rick's Restoration TV show using baking soda as a sand blasting media. Apparently it is a milder abrasive and doesn't damage whatever delicate material is being blasted. I am sure that I can't be the only person who watched that episode.

Baking soda is usually between 75 and 275 micron. I've used it to do "sand blasting" on chrome before. Never have tried to strop with it though. My guess would be that it would leave a jagged edge. Maybe try it on a dish rag with a pocket knife first.