Thread: Life expectancy of diamond spray on strops?

I have been using SRD's 15 carat diamond spray, .5 micron on a webbing strop. If I use the webbing strop once a week how often do you think a re-application should be done? Shouldn't it last for several months? Does anyone re-apply when it seems the abrasiveness of the strop seems less? Or do people normally just re-apply every so often just to ensure good performance? I've used CBN spray and it lasts quite a long time. If I had that on the strop I'd squirt the strop a few sprits ever 3 months or so. That has always been on leather though. I have been very happy with the performance of this diamond spray. But with my limited experience my plan would be to re-apply every 3 months (example) instead of counting on my ability to judge how abrasive the strop is over time.

Any help is appreciated.

i will be interested to hear what is said, i have recently set up a set of pasted strops, so it is relevant to me too.

A lot depend on the paste or spray, the grit size, substrate, and how well you protect and store it and how much you use it.

CBN works best misted damp with distilled water, if you use it dry it will flake off. Diamond also work well misted.

I have a CBN .125 and .10 um strop that is over a couple years old and still works well. CBN and Diamond work best on Nylon, paper, cloth and canvas.

On fine grits, dust is larger than the spray grit size, once contaminated the strop is useless. Strops in the shop do not last as long as the ones on the bathroom door.

Chrome, Ferrous and Iron Oxides last a long, long time, many years but it too can become contaminated. If you start to see chipping post stropping chances are the strop is contaminated.

I do believe part of the reason it has been recommended to hand rub your leather strop was to wipe off dust.

Take a damp white paper towel and wipe your leather strop and see how much dust comes off.

I think I have heard Lynn mention around 10 x before re-application. I quit any form of spray and paste years ago and haven't looked back.

I stopped using my diamond spray quickly as I started into hones instead. Of the 2 original leather strops I made the bench strop I now use for my knives and it is black now and still works fine. You need to remember if only refreshing your razor you are only doing a few light laps so it should last a long time before losing its abrasiveness. That is when to reapply when it stops doing the job. Just like changing a sheet of sandpaper.

Lynn let me "borrow" an application of chromium oxide paste on the back of my linen strop back in April, its still working fine. Albeit, i only strop a razor on it to "refresh" it after maybe 20-30 shaves. For me, it doesn't need more than that. after about 60-80 shaves it no longer holds its edge and needs to go to the hones.

diamond sprays for me last over six months between applications on my felt.