Thread: Four-sided strop in lieu of hone while traveling abroad?

I am in the military and am trying to devise a system I can use on deployment to maintain my razor in lieu of packing a heavy hone, which I may only actually use once or twice anyhow. I am thinking of constructing a four-sided paddle strop. I will use 6, 3, 1 diamond, and 0.5 chromium oxide pastes on each side respectively. I am also making a 1.5"x6" two-sided paddle with linen and leather for final stropping. Does this sound like a solid system? Is it too much or too little? Any tweaks or thoughts? Thanks.

Why not a barbers hone, for the occasional touch up, they are readily available and inexpensive. Usually measuring around 2x5 inches and 1/2 inch thick, they will easily travel in a rucksack, as will any hanging strop. It would seem to me its just a matter of how you pack your kit.

Well, could be too little....I guess that all depends. I'd take the paddle strop and a barber's hone. Just saw some nice ones in the classifieds that I've been tempted to grab myself.

I don't have any experience with barber's hones. Are they enough to keep a really keen edge used together only with an unpasted strop? How are their grits measured/advertised as a standard such as comparing to Norton 8K for example? Where can I get them other than on eBay? The classifieds you speak of are on SRP? Would like to take my hanging strop, but with packing/folding it and with the fine dust that inevitably coats EVERYTHING in an austere environment probably not feasible. I'm trying to go super minimalist. Thanks for the help guys.

Carborundum 102 Barber's Hone - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

Carborundum 104 Barber's Hone - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

What about a norton 4/8 cut in half so its a little shorter, lighter, more compact? Plenty of us strop right off the 8k and on to linen then leather with no compounds or pastes. I would imagine a hanging strop would pack better than a paddle.

I personally would like to have a hone if i was traveling long term, never know when you might have an encounter with a drop or a faucet or a bit too much rattling in a pack and have a bit of a chip in the blade to work out.

Originally Posted by smcg18

I don't have any experience with barber's hones. Are they enough to keep a really keen edge used together only with an unpasted strop? How are their grits measured/advertised as a standard such as comparing to Norton 8K for example? Where can I get them other than on eBay? The classifieds you speak of are on SRP? Would like to take my hanging strop, but with packing/folding it and with the fine dust that inevitably coats EVERYTHING in an austere environment probably not feasible. I'm trying to go super minimalist. Thanks for the help guys.

Barbers hone easily competes with the Norton 8k and will keep a razor sharp indefinately, as far as hanging strops go you can easily keep one in an airtight cylinder(pvc pipe with caps) or something similar. You would have to protect a paddle strop from the same elements as you would the hanging strop so whats the difference?

I am getting ready to deploy also the end of February, I am going to take the SRD Modular Paddle Strop, and a barbers hone with me.
Lance