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CROX or Diamond spray?

Kinda confused with these. I have a tony miller vanilla strop and ive never used the fabric stop. I know you can use pstes or sprays to help refresh the blade but i havent had the need so far but now that i need to learn and know more about it. How do you apply the sprays and which is better between crox and diamond sprays?
 
Before putting any paste or spray, you can use it as-is.
The cloth side has a grit somewhere in between crOx and leather.
When cloth is not enough, then you move to crOx or spray, but I don't know anything about the later as I have only used crOx myself.
The one I use come in as a solid block, I just rub it on a suede or cloth strop.
 
I wouldn't apply crox or diamond spray to your linen/canvas strop. Get yourself a strip or strips of balsa wood from the hobby shop and use the crox/sprays on balsa. Once applied to your strop, its difficult to impossible to remove.
 
I wouldn't apply crox or diamond spray to your linen/canvas strop. Get yourself a strip or strips of balsa wood from the hobby shop and use the crox/sprays on balsa. Once applied to your strop, its difficult to impossible to remove.
Agreed. Use the cloth side as in on your strop.
For crOx, you can get a cheap one if you want to use cloth or suede. No need for a Tony Miller for that.
Or Balsa (but I have no experience with that, so I can not comment on that)
 
IMHO CrOx and diamond sprays are an unnecessary step and expense UNLESS you don't have any hones.

If you already have a fabric component on your strop, it's worth using it as is (e.g. clean) before you strop. Only 5-10 passes are necessary - the fabric cleans any leftover lather residue from the edge, thereby keeping you leather component a bit cleaner.

As for CroOx/diamond sprays, be aware that while they will refresh an slightly dull edge, over using them even the least bit could 'round off' the razor edge resulting in the need to hone more often.

If you don't have any hones whatsoever, then I would suggest using paste or spray on a cheap, spare fabric strop (not your normal one which should be used before the leather as mentioned above)... and use it only when you feel significant pull (the start of dulling) from the razor. Try just 5-10 laps on the paste/spray... see how it feels... try 3-5 more if needed, until the edge feels 'fresh' again.

If you do have hones - or are open to picking up an inexpensive 'finishing' hone (you can pick up a decent 10k-12k hone - such as an Imperia la Rocca for ~$20 on the bay) then skip the mess of pastes/sprays and just touch up right on the hone.
 
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Well i dont have any hones but planned on pickin up a naniwa 12k. I want an apache strata but they seem to be really expensive for a nice sized one. And since ive never honed anything before i figured that it would be easier on the 12k
 
i just plan on being self sustainable with my razors and dont plan on restoring any so that why i was asking about the CROX and diamond sprays. Never knew much about them and ive never really used the fabric part of my strop. ive always used the leather and for the last 3 weeks have no issues at all
 
What belongs on the fabric strop is a couple of tubes of the Dovo white paste. It fills in the weave and is ever so gently abrasive as to be hardly noticeable, and yet it certainly adds that certain something to the fabric strop that is otherwise sorely lacking.

It is in no way in the same abrasive qualities as cromox or diamond. Far, far from it. You can use the Dovo white everyday, and it will add excellence to your edges.

I did a thread on it a few years ago. Search for "Dovo white" and maybe you can find it.

I had another thread with pics too, but this is what I found first:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/259725-Dovo-white-rules?highlight=White
 
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Clean leather and clean cloth with a good stropping routine is boss, hands down. Those pastes are messy and you'll wish you hadn't applied it once you learn how to properly strop your razors. Use that cotton material before the leather and hand rub the leather before you strop. You are going to love it clean.

Regards

Chasmo
 
I have the Dovo white paste on one side for everyday use, and CrOx spray on the other. I don't wait for the razor to tug before using the CrOx. Rather, at the very first sign of an edge becoming the least bit dull, I'll give it just 4-5 laps on the CrOx. Does the trick nicely...really smooths out the edge.
 
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