3 micron necessary?

[SP Log Dog]

Hello, I'd like to thank you all for all the information that I found here. I recently got a best quality dovo, strop, etc. Enough stuff for daily maintenance. Now, at some point, I'm going to grab a paddle strop from Tony Miller, and I was wondering, is the 3 micron paste really necessary? Would it be enough to keep my blade in good shape if I got a two sided paddle strop with 1.0 diamond and 0.50 chromium? I'm trying to minimize size and weight of my setup, during the summer I work at a boy scout ranch, and I have to fit everything into a backpack for the summer.

[joel]

Hello, I'd like to thank you all for all the information that I found here. I recently got a best quality dovo, strop, etc. Enough stuff for daily maintenance. Now, at some point, I'm going to grab a paddle strop from Tony Miller, and I was wondering, is the 3 micron paste really necessary? Would it be enough to keep my blade in good shape if I got a two sided paddle strop with 1.0 diamond and 0.50 chromium? I'm trying to minimize size and weight of my setup, during the summer I work at a boy scout ranch, and I have to fit everything into a backpack for the summer.

If you get a 4 sided strop - 3 sides pasted (3 micron, 1 micron diamonds, and .5 micron green chrome) with the 4th side left plain for daily stropping - problem solved.

Do you "need" 3 micron? Well.... that's like saying do you need a pocket knife, or a medical kit. When you need it.... you REALLY need it. If you don't plan on picking up a hone, you need it.

[Tony Miller]

To me the 3.0 is the optional paste. if you know you are going to own a Norton you don't "need" it as it is the same as the 8K side. Some still want it for a quick, dry touch-up without having to soak or wet their Norton. Without a hone, as Joel says, when you need it you need it.

Tony

[Limey]

To me the 3.0 is the optional paste. if you know you are going to own a Norton you don't "need" it as it is the same as the 8K side. Some still want it for a quick, dry touch-up without having to soak or wet their Norton. Without a hone, as Joel says, when you need it you need it.

Tony

Yeah...and remember that's a 10 minute soak for the Norton. Tony is right, the 3.0 on a pasted strop is very convenient to have hanging there!

[Bowcephalus]

Norton stone and a nice, wide, dry strop hung from towel rack......Good to go, no messy paste.....

[joel]

Norton stone and a nice, wide, dry strop hung from towel rack......Good to go, no messy paste.....

Messy paste? If you are experiencing paste being "messy" it doesn't sound like you're using it properly - can you explain?

[Bowcephalus]

I stopped using it at all...........It's no more messy than butter on bread (used much more sparingly to raise the level of abrasion) but I just don't think the benefits of it on a strop equal butter on bread..;)..Not with a good hone now and then....I like a clean wide strop with nothing between the leather and edge....I find myself cleaning stuff off the strop rather than adding stuff to it these days...The hone does the job of the paste better as far as I'm concerned and the clean,smooth leather polishes/adjusts that edge enough for a great,consistent, result.....

[Seraphim]

Pastes are the best thing since sliced bread!

(Since you're bringing bread into the discussion...)

[Bowcephalus]

Now see there Sera, that's where you're wrong again....We pasteless stroppers also prefer slicing our own bread.....(How's that paste working for ya on that D.E.???).....;)

[Seraphim]

Wrong again?!

Damn!

And, yeah, I do need to update my avatar. I only recently went straight.

[Bowcephalus]

Welcome.....And yes, REAL STRAIGHT MEN bake bread............................................. ......................occasionally

[Seraphim]

I baked some the day before last.


So there.

[gglockner]

Trying to keep on track and not thinking about food, a pasted strop with 1.0 & .5 would keep your razors keen thru the summer and then some.

Glen

[momo360]

Welcome.....And yes, REAL STRAIGHT MEN bake bread............................................. ......................occasionally

well I don't bake it, but I do get it from this greek bakery just around my place, fantastic stuff all around. Anyway, does that count?

[Bowcephalus]

Anything a fellow Lewis fan fancies is worth consideration (great quote)......In light of this rather quirky tangent I seem to have slipped away on, I should point out that strop paste does not improve the bread either, in my opinion.....;).......