Thread: Chromium Oxide Paste on hard linen

here's a related question: can I apply chromium oxide paste to one side of my linen strop, keep the other side clean, and use them both? my strop comes apart and I can reassemble it with either side out, so it seems like a fine idea to get the most options from my equipment. any reason this wouldn't work? or if I had to choose, would you recommend that I keep the clean linen or paste it, and why?

I imagine you'll get some advice not to do this, but I don't know why you couldn't. I contemplated pasting one side of my canvas. The only reason I didn't was because I knew I wanted both 1.0 and .5 pastes, so I bought a new strop with two pieces of felt. In fact, I thought about getting one piece of felt and pasting both sides of it, then getting a different leather for the top. In the end, I liked having a deadicated piece of felt for each paste, and I did not want to take my strop apart every time I wanted to use paste.

I think if you are careful about contanimation of your leather, or the "dry" side of the felt, you should have no problem pasting on side of the felt. I would hope before anyone says not to do it, their comment is based on actual experience.

Good luck, and let us know how it works if you try it.

--David