Pasted Strop

Use a straight. You know it makes sense.
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matt321
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Pasted Strop

Post by matt321 »

Over my three years straight razor experience I've experimented with several hones, pasted strops, and un-pasted strops. I'm gaining confidence that I can get a razor sharp, but smooth is more difficult for me. Lately I've been depending more on a pasted canvas hanging strop for use after honing and for touch-ups.

Do you find it necessary to use a pasted strop after honing or for touch-ups?
Life2short1971
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Post by Life2short1971 »

Unless a Thuringian,Jnat,Coticule, or other ultrafine natural finisher is used then yes.
Scott
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Post by loueedacat1 »

never. I finish off coticule or escher.
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drmoss_ca
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Post by drmoss_ca »

I find a pasted strop gives the shave a noticeably smoother quality. No shame in using one at all, and practically a necessity for some very hard steels. Maybe I'm honing-impaired...

Chris
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Sando
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Post by Sando »

I find pasted balsa to be easy and effective for touch-ups.
Is there an advantage to a pasted hanging strop?

...Ray
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matt321
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Post by matt321 »

Sando wrote:I find pasted balsa to be easy and effective for touch-ups.
Is there an advantage to a pasted hanging strop?

...Ray

I haven't tried balsa, I am using hanging canvas with CrO.
Based on conjecture I would say that the hanging strop would be faster since it can flex and convex so as to focus on the extreme edge. A slight convexing of the edge with time would be the penalty, so that the next honing session would take longer.

I need to pick up some balsa at the hobby store and give it a try. I also want to get a 1.5-inch webbed belt to use as a pasted hanging strop. The old canvas strop I'm using now works well but feels too coarse. (See here: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showpost.p ... ostcount=8)
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giammi
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Post by giammi »

"I need to pick up some balsa at the hobby store and give it a try."

Check that they are really flat. I bought a few in a hobby store and did not notice that their shape was concave.
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Post by brothers »

Mine is glued to a piece of hardwood. I'd think the balsa would easily flatten with a quick lapping on a piece of fine sandpaper. This could be repeated as necessary over time.
Gary

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matt321
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Post by matt321 »

Well, there does seems to be a stigma associated with pasted strops. Like, you rely on a pasted strop because you aren't good enough with hones, so you have to cheat. Also, the edge obtained on a pasted strop is not as durable or legitimate as that from a hone. :oops:

Folks are entitled to their opinions, but I'm in the pro-paste camp for now.
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Post by drmoss_ca »

Matt,
I hear you. There is a purity associated with the idea of hones and strop that is best expressed in the attempts by some clever souls to use but one hone and alter its characteristics by diluting the slurry. If it turns your crank and you are good at it, do please continue. Much of this is based on the old tradition of a barber and his hone, being shaved with the grain only, and once or twice a week at that. My take is that whatever is the easiest way for each of us to get the edge and the shave that we desire is the right way for that individual. I have no complaints about variety, different strokes etc. If it works for you, do it!

I can't get edges as fine as I want for shaving purposes without pastes. If others can, great. My suspicion is that they don't require such fine edges, but I may be wrong. It doesn't matter, as long as each is happy.

Chris
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
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Post by Ecosse »

There is a cost factor to consider also, no?

Quite frankly, I can't afford hones, but paste and an extra fabric I can.
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drmoss_ca
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Post by drmoss_ca »

Gary,
There is a bit more to it than just cost. In theory (fatal phrase) hones produce a flat bevel leading up to an ever-more regular edge with finer and finer 'teeth' on it. Pastes can make the 'teeth' finer, but do so at the cost of curving the bevelled surface. There comes a point where further paste usage will not refresh the edge, as the rounded/curved bevel approaches the edge at too great an angle. Then you must hone again. As long as you are prepared to live with this, perhaps you are right and it comes down to cost alone. You can do a stunning amount of work on an edge with a bar of Flexcut Gold and some CrO2, and even though I own some decent finishing hones, I still prefer the shave from pastes used after the finishing hones.

Chris
"Je n'ai pas besoin de cette hypothèse."
Pierre-Simon de Laplace
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