Silly question about CrOx

I have a silly question about using CrOx. I recently made a CrOx bench strop from Balsa wood and used it for the first time today on a GD razor I had honed using Naniwa SS stones, finishing on the 12K, then moving to the CrOx. This was my first shave using a blade finished on CrOx and it was very pleasant. Not as smooth as JNAT edges I've used but smoother than the 12K alone.

My question is this- if I want to use CrOx on blades honed with tape, which the GD was not, do I need to tape the spine before using the CrOx. I know the answer is likely "no" and I feel dumb for asking but I still wanted to ask. Thanks.

Well, the CrOx is so fine that it won't really be able to abrade the metal noticeably. So, if you used tape on the spine all the way up to CrOx then took the tape off before hitting the balsa, the CrOx would only really be polishing the shoulder of the edge without actually touching the edge itself. IMO.

So, either remove the tape closer to the finishing stone, or leave it on for the CrOx, or just hone the razor without tape.

Actually, I think the balsa will have enough give, so the edge will contact without tape.

I had one razor that I had honed with tape, and I found it responded better to a hanging cotton strop loaded with CrOx. I stropped without tape.

On a balsa strop I would leave the tape and on a hanging strop I would remove it.

Brianskeet said:

On a balsa strop I would leave the tape and on a hanging strop I would remove it.

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I was was just about to say the same thing.

gary

Brianskeet said:

On a balsa strop I would leave the tape and on a hanging strop I would remove it.

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I agree with this.

Brianskeet said:

On a balsa strop I would leave the tape and on a hanging strop I would remove it.

Click to expand...

Another +1 here. Never had much luck with balsa myself. Slackened loom strop with red and black crayon ferox is the ticket as far as I'm concerned these days.

It's an easy thing to test. Take your blade that has been honed with tape. Do a HHT. Remove the tape and use the CrOx on the balsa. If the HHT changes, or noticeably improves, the edge is contacting.

I think there is a tendency here to over think things, when a practical experiment will tell you very quickly what you need to know.