Thread: Abrasive pastes on daily strop

SWAG, I would think that the graphite is filling the pores and also making a non-stick surface which prevents loading of the strop by the usual contaminants.
~Richard

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

The graphite has certainly settled in, Lynn.
snip..- the graphite must have filled-in the pores but it doesn't look plastered with graphite - you have to really look close and/or rub it to tell that the graphite is there.
Regards,Neil

Originally Posted by Kees

It works really great. I applied it onto my Tony Miller red latigo strop. The latigo has plenty oils to hold the graphite.

Kees-I too have loaded up my TM Latigo strop with graphite, and just did 100 laps. It "seems" to work, based on leg-hair test, but I suppose the next shave will truly tell. It did black up my strop some, though.

Please let us know how it works after a couple of shaves.

So at this point folks are trying to differentiate the effect of pure graphite v.s. pencil lead?

Thanks everyone, I'm going to try a pencil lead tomorrow. I have a strip of chamois leather glued onto wood, and smeared with just a little Solvol Autosol, which is a car chrome polishing paste, very easily obtained here in England. Do they sell it in the States? Have you tried it?

I doubt whether adding graphite to chrome polish makes sense. Chrome polish has harder abrasive particles than graphite which is really soft.

Please let us know how it works out.

My apologies to Kees for clouding the issue; I meant replacing the Solvol with graphite on a fresh leather, not actually adding to it.
I am at the same time intrigued to know if anybody thinks that the very mild Solvol might be remarkably similar in performance to branded strop pastes, at a fraction of the cost.

I own Autosol (Germany here) and have tried it for kitchen knives.
I wasn´t pleased with it, I find it way too agressive.
It´s a cleaning and polishing agent of lower quality, I think.

Why go for things like chrome polish and other stuff, if high quality diamond sprays, and high quality chromium oxide can be purchased online inside and outside the EU?


BTW. the pencil lead, I tried before and found it to leave an extremely sharp edge.
Maybe even overly sharp, just like newspaper. But one should definitely try pencil lead on newspaper, if one wishes to experiment

A question for the experienced crowd here. How often do I reapply Diamond Spray to my SRD Paddle Strop Felt pad? I'm not sure if it was a one time application that is intended to last the life of the pad, or I need to reapply periodically?

Thanks in advance for your insight.

Bruce

Originally Posted by Bruche

A question for the experienced crowd here. How often do I reapply Diamond Spray to my SRD Paddle Strop Felt pad? I'm not sure if it was a one time application that is intended to last the life of the pad, or I need to reapply periodically?

Thanks in advance for your insight.

Bruce

You did not tell us what grade of diamond spray you are using
and you did not tell us how the razor shaves.

The truth lies in the shaving.

If you are asking and you are honing your own razors then
apply a spray that is finer than the last hone the day
before you hone the razors... and then only once in
20 razors or so.

Reports are that the first couple applications should be
gentle but repeated so the felt is not soaked. Once the
felt is loaded you may not need to apply any more
spray for a year or more. Your shaves will tell...

If you are using sub micron diamond, CrOx or CeOx
then you may be a bit more generous. The submicron
bits will polish more than abrade... and as some folks (Glen)
have discovered via testing you can strop a lot with the stuff.

If you are using +micron (2, 4, 6micron) abrasives then
some caution is advised as they do go to town on the
steel.