Thread: Is it a good idea to use paste on leater?

Hello all,

I found this strop, the supex-77 top strop: Strop_it strops

It comes with two leather pads, one is "napped clear leather". They also recommend that side for pasting, everything I've read up on so far suggests you should paste on fabric instead.

I'm a bit confused about this.

Thank you,
- Ram

Leather works. I have two bench strops with leather and use them for diamond paste. There are many materials you can use with paste. I'm sure the guys will be along with their favorites.

What do you plan to paste with?

That looks like a very nice strop, and replaceable panels are great for flexibility.

You can paste on a 3 inch piece of foam core poster board, to test various paste. Once you decide on a paste or pastes then purchase a dedicated strop. Once a substrate is pasted, it can never be completely removed.

For some paste, a fine weave fabric or nylon will give a good polish and hold paste well, as will suede leather, but really you want the paste to do the work, the substrate is just a carrier.

The hardness or flex is more important depending on the paste, like diamond. Harder surfaces will cut deeper, especially with pressure and cause problems. Any pasted strop should be used with lite pressure, or you can get edge chipping.

What are the differences in paste, is it just manufacturing differences. Are some made a specific way for specific goals in mind?

I'm just looking for something to use to hone my blade, I guess it'll be applied to leather on a pad. I don't have thick facial hair and I'll be shaving daily if that helps.

Yes, different paste can deliver varying results.

Basically paste polish for comfort and more aggressive grit shapes for added keenness.

Both remove microscopic amounts of metal and a combination can be used to fine tune an edge to your face, and beard type.
A pasted strop and proper technique can keep a razor shaving for a long, long time. It is an abrasive strop and inferior technique can strip an edge in one stroke.

Typically Chromium Oxide is used as a smoothing paste and also can add keenness. Not so much for repair, but more for maintenance, used weekly or at the first hint of flagging.

Diamond and CBN are typical aggressive paste used to enhance or refresh a flagging edge.

There are many paste and blends of polish and cutting grits, Chromium Oxide is by far the most popular and generally the first paste to begin with. Just make sure you purchase quality Chrome Oxide, for straight razor use.

Chrome Oxide is about .5um about 30K in grit size, pastes can go as fine as .10um about 160k grit and a lot in between.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Yes, different paste can deliver varying results.

Basically paste polish for comfort and more aggressive grit shapes for added keenness.

Both remove microscopic amounts of metal and a combination can be used to fine tune an edge to your face, and beard type.
A pasted strop and proper technique can keep a razor shaving for a long, long time. It is an abrasive strop and inferior technique can strip an edge in one stroke.

Typically Chromium Oxide is used as a smoothing paste and also can add keenness. Not so much for repair, but more for maintenance, used weekly or at the first hint of flagging.

Diamond and CBN are typical aggressive paste used to enhance or refresh a flagging edge.

There are many paste and blends of polish and cutting grits, Chromium Oxide is by far the most popular and generally the first paste to begin with. Just make sure you purchase quality Chrome Oxide, for straight razor use.

Chrome Oxide is about .5um about 30K in grit size, pastes can go as fine as .10um about 160k grit and a lot in between.

Am I looking for Chromium Oxide 3 for straights? It's the one I've come across for straights.

P.S: Could I use a 12k grit stone to replace the purpose of a paste?

It is not the grit size that matters as much as the purity of the grit and the size.

Much of the Chrome Oxide that is sold is for polishing and contains other abrasives to cut faster. Some do not even contain Chrome Oxide or so little that they call it Green Polish. .5um is the acceptable grit size, some claim to go to .3. What you want is the polishing/smoothing ability of Chrome Oxide, not so much the keenness. Other pastes do keenness better.

I can only recommend paste that I have used and that are recommended for Razor use, SRD stick and spray, Hand America liquid and spray and Kremer Pigments 44200 Chrome Oxide.

It is not expensive and a purchase is more than a lifetime supply, so buy quality. And as I stated prior, once applied it can never be completely removed.

A 12k stone is 12k, .5um Chrome Oxide is about 30k.

Many of us use Chrome Oxide after finish honing on a 12k or higher.

Chrome Oxide will visibly polish a 12k edge to a very comfortable edge.

If you buy a 12k stone, buy a quality synthetic, not a Natural stone of Claimed 12k grit.

I'm about to purchase some oxide, how can I make sure it has not been mixed with anything else, or is suitable for straight razors?

Thinking of getting this, and mixing it with baby oil. You know what I mean.

Chromium oxide

Don’t know the brand, they do not list particle size or purity for the Chrome Oxide yet they do for others.
Ask and see if they know if not buy from known Razor suppliers, it is about the same price.

A small amount of power and drop or two of mineral oil baby oil works, make a thin paste and use your finger to draw 3 in X's give 2 coats and let dry.