Lol. True. Theres loads of bs out there. I once heard someone say that if your bevel is set give it 600 more strokes to make sure. Hmmmmm.
Excellent advice on my axe.
Lol. True. Theres loads of bs out there. I once heard someone say that if your bevel is set give it 600 more strokes to make sure. Hmmmmm.
I was at the same place. I have been honing on naturals exclusively for about 8-9 months. I have been getting great results,but for some reason decided to use pasted strops on two razors. One I maxed out on a coti first and the other was an experiment with a barber's hone. The barbers hone needed a little help lol. I actually believe that in the beginning I was using the pasted strops to make subpar edges tolerable. Now that I have more experience honing they seem to add a nice level of keenness. I'll experiment more. Still chasing that perfect edge
It's certainly possible that a conservative application of the right paste would do just that, but that's not what it seems most people recommend paste for... rather they're recommended typically as an alternative to finishing stones, usually to people who don't have success with stones. I couldn't count on both hands the number of guys who came to me for help with their new coticule, when they were trying to experiment with a stone finish... often after months of honing with a paste finish, only to check their razor, and it won't even shave arm hair.
Your suggestion about sculpting a controlled amount of convexing is interesting. I once achieved a super sharp but harsh edge off a synth. But after 2-3 shaves with stropping on plain leather the edge mellowed out quite a bit and the cutting efficiency actually seemed to improve. I suspect that it was this type of convexing that was happening through normal use.The problem with stones alone is that you never get the desired microconvexing that will help maintain a proper edge geometry for the duration of the shave. The exception to this is if you are using a natural stone and develop a slurry, you can of some degree of microconvexing. I recommend a moderately compressible porous substrate (such as denim) with a 5-10 micron grit compound to achieve the desired microconvexing, then a stropp on a more resilient media (like leather) with a 0.25 micron spray. followed by plain leather strop.
As always YMMV!
It can help but too much of a good thing can also be bad. I once tried some felt with diamond spray that was a bit more "mooshy" and fuzzy that what I usually use......It was like I jointed the edge on glass. After 5 laps I could not shave a hair on my arm (even with pressure)! I think it was wrapping up around the edge as I slid the razor along the felt. Recently I have been experimenting with balsa strops (Slash McCoy posts). It is very sharp, but I finish with .1 diamond on denim, otherwise the edge is a bit harsh. I think this is needed because the balsa is so non-compressible, the edge has no convexing. The whole micro-convexing issue is hotly debated in other threads, and I don't want to start a dust-up. This is just what works well for me.Your suggestion about sculpting a controlled amount of convexing is interesting. I once achieved a super sharp but harsh edge off a synth. But after 2-3 shaves with stropping on plain leather the edge mellowed out quite a bit and the cutting efficiency actually seemed to improve. I suspect that it was this type of convexing that was happening through normal use.
So is it simply a YMMV matter or are we subconsciously favoring the stones that take more skill to master?