Diamond paste......what do you guys use?

jonnymac44

jonnymac44

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Sep 27, 2007
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Okay, I've been wanting to use diamond paste in my shop for a while. Traditionally I always finished the edges of my knives by stropping them on a leather barber's strop with green chromium oxide paste and then on the canvas back. Picked up a second barber's strop and wanted to try charging it with diamond paste and see if I can improve my results a bit.

What kind of diamond paste do you guys like?
 
You don't have to screw up a strop to use diamond compound. Leather strops are generally meant to be used without compound. You use stropping compound on the canvas side.
You can put your diamond paste on a paint stirring stick, or a piece of MDF. Or just get a piece of leather to use it on.
 
Strop source tip:
Go to Goodwill or whatever your local thrift store is. Look at that huge wall of belts and purses. Buy a wide belt in real leather and take it home for a buck or two. Sand the surface down with 220 grit and you have a good strop. Leave the buckle on to attach to a hook on the wall.
 
Seeing how nobody answered your question I have used the quarter micron diamond paste from Enco on my razors.
 
I use 8000 grit dmt paste on a 3"x24" piece of 8oz leather and and it puts a full polish edge on 63rc m-4 in about 1 min.
 
Oops. I use a solution suspended in what I think is water in a little spritz bottle. I can't recall where I got it but I do remember it was from a reputable razor supply store online. I have 1, .5 and .25 micron. I use mostly the 1 micron on balsa. Have used it on leather but much prefer balsa to the leather.
 
Can't help with the paste but +1 on the soft wood strop for compounds, my main strop is a piece of poplar charged with green chrome/rubbing alcohol slurry.
 
I buy 15 ml syringes of paste compound with 10 grams of diamond in the mix. I use 8,000 and 12,000 grit most of the time.
 
Jon, you might ask in the Maintenance forum too. Lot of guys with a ton of practical experience sharpening knives, some do it for a living, or as a side income as well.
 
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