INT'L CUSTOMERS;  Unless your order's >$400 or has at least one item explicitly stating "includes EMS express mail", free tracking is NOT included-you must optionally elect to purchase it (if you want it).  Service ranges 7-90 days and there's absolutely no way to find out what's going on.

We'll happily accept small orders from all over earth, however...

PURCHASE WITHOUT TRACKING = YOU ASSUME ALL RISK OF LOSS

We've no option to add any tracking to regular 1st class int'l mail (domestic packages now get this for free).
So far (>7000 att. @ this writing), overall risk of disappearance is ~0.46%, with Western Europe/Great Britain/Canada closer to ~0.2% and Australia/New Zealand thus far perfect with well over 1000 combined attempts.

I can't offer Registered Mail anymore-it takes too long hand-writing 3 forms, sealing a box with water-activated tape, and queueing up at the post office...time's just too valued.  We instead offer to partially subsidize EMS Express Mail's high cost, which is always a minimum of $38(and moves up based on a weight in a jiffy!).
The option buys speed & safety, but only you can decide if it is worth it to you.  Minimum order value of $100 to elect this option.

Sharpening Pastes & Sprays for Straight Razors

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Abrasive pastes/sprays, used as supplements to honing, keep hones away from the razor for awhile.  If you're starting with a professionally-honed straight razor, you can get by with just 2 diamond sharpening pastes (and a surface for them) for a long time...perhaps used along with some chromium oxide for a smoother finish, you should be able to keep your razor's edge fine enough to be satisfying for months and months of daily use if you've got an average beard.  Most will prefer chromium oxide finish, but some will still prefer the extra-sharp diamond paste finish.

Sharpening pastes have a primary limitation, which comes from using them with a stropping action (moving away from the edge) rather than a honing action (moving towards the edge).  They can't increase the length of bevels, or decrease the cutting angle of an edge created by the intersections of said bevels.  They also can't make wholesale edge restorations or corrections, of course.  See my rudimentary sketch below for a visual representation of this wording.  What good pastes do is restore proper smoothness to bevel faces and proper linearity to edges created by bevel faces.  If you've dinged or are trying to fix a neglected razor, get a hone(s).

Each particular paste needs a specifically-dedicated stropping surface.  Some like paddle strops, and they are more convenient and smaller.  Others like simple 'bench strops'.  I prefer a hanging strop.  It needn't be fancy; a taut scrap of leather or a chunk of flat balsa wood will certainly suffice.  But whatever you choose as your surface for paste stropping, mark it somehow so that you know which paste is to be re-applied to it.  For our sample size of exactly one average beard, 2 razors used daily with just regular stropping shouldn't need to touch diamond pastes for at least a month, and bi-monthly touch-ups of just two dozen laps on each properly-coated surface should suffice.

All pastes work best when worked into the 'body' of the stropping surface, rather than just 'floating' upon it.  Try to get an even coating into the nap of the strop by pushing a few drops in with your fingers, and then try stropping in the usual way, starting with your coarsest paste and finishing with your finest paste.  With every change in grade, use a paper towel to completely remove any residues from the razor's edge.  You don't want coarser particles to touch a stropping surface designated for smaller particles.

Course SUPA101:  Basic Paste Theory 101

A quiz is coming later, so please memorize every nuance of these 3 highly-technical drawings.  I do apologize for extremely poor illustrative skill...in trying to show the profile of a modern full hollow ground razor, I instead drew something akin to old 'frameback' razors, and perhaps arguably even something beyond our little shaving world.

Phase 1 (above):  A freshly-honed razor has a nice long bevel width which helps create a narrow cutting angle, with smooth and straight bevel faces and a nice and straight line representing the intersection of those bevel faces.

Phase 2 (above):  A razor which has dulled from use has had its bevel length reduced, its bevel faces made a bit more ragged/pockmarked, its bevel intersection point turned into a line instead of a point, and had its straight line representing the intersection of those bevel faces become more of a ragged 'line'.

Phase 3 (above):  A razor refreshened from pastes hasn't had its bevel length increased, but its bevel faces are indeed nice and smooth again.  Its bevels intersect at a point once again, but the angle at which those bevels meet has been changed.  The edge line is once again straight.

Though it takes quite a few cycles, eventually you'll feel a slight difference in the comfort of the razor from the change of the intersection angle of the bevels.  Hit the hone at that point to get back to "phase 1".

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Chromium Oxide (CrO2)

The defacto edge finishing standard for straights...while technically a sharpener, it functions as a smoothing agent.  Chromium-oxide finished edges have a distinctly silky feel vs solely diamond-paste-finished blades, which are likely sharper but definitely have more 'cutting' feel.  Many employ CRO2 to finish Dovo or diamond paste honing regimens.

You get 11 grams of the finest semi-liquid compound packed in a high-grade (USA-made) plastic jar.  The jar's tiny.  But you'll just have to trust that 11 grams is enough for a long, long while...if you've not already thought about your prostate, chances are good you will have given it a think by the time you get through that little jar :-)

Slather up your stropping surface once and add a tiny bit each time.  Chromium oxide works best with smooth, 'flat' stropping surfaces, such as tight-grained strops (not velour-like surfaces such as Dovo's Russian leather, but more akin to English Bridle leather) or a piece of balsa wood sanded down with fine sandpapers...you can see the piece of balsa wood used in this shop to finish off new straight razors purchased here.

Above:  5-gram syringe shown in 1-micron size; they all look the same.

Norton Diamond Sharpening Pastes are produced in 1.0, 0.5, and 0.25-micron size average molecule designations.  You should be able to fully coat a strop a few times with these little 5-gram syringes, allowing several months of regular use before needing more.  Most folks are better off getting just the 1 and 0.5-micron pastes, for the 0.25-micron size is too sharp for many, taking hold on every little surface imperfection in skin topography.  If you have smooth skin but a tough beard, go ahead and get the 0.25-micron paste. Norton 1 Micron Size 5-Gram Syringe Diamond Paste $16 In-Stock Free USA Shipping (+$2 Int'l Shipping) Norton 1/4 Micron Size 5-Gram Syringe Diamond Paste $16 In-Stock Free USA Shipping (+$2 Int'l Shipping)

	Thiers-Issard Sharpening Paste combines your typical ugly-diamond-puree with aluminum oxide, and has a bit of fiber to it. At the first sign of pulling from your razor, run a few dozen laps on a strop with this stuff. Thiers-Issard recommends only chromium oxide treated strops as a finish to follow their own paste. TI Sharpening Paste $11.25 In-Stock Free USA Shipping (+$2 Int'l Shipping)

Hand American Diamond Sprays Produced in 1, 0.5, and 0.25-micron designations, these extremely-well-regarded spray bottles have their rightful place atop the market for appligue-to-mediums sharpeners. Hanging strops and other smooth surfaces for applying diamonds will prefer this spray to the pastes above; those are best suited to 'nappy' surfaces (such as upon Thiers-Issard paddle strops).  I've come to believe that the HA 0.25-micron spray combined with a very smooth strop (i.e. Dovo Russian leather) cannot be matched for peak sharpness, not that that's so important to me.  If you've got the monster beard, though, you should try going down to 0.25. These 2-ounce spray bottles yield over 400 'spritzes', which would seem to be nearly a lifetime of supply for any end-user...thus, we've got samplers, too, which also give you years of practical use for less dough. 1 Micron Size Diamond Spray (2 ounce bottle) w/ Free Shipping (USA ONLY) $22 In-Stock 1 Micron Size Diamond Spray (2 ounce bottle) + USPS 1st Class Mail Int'l (Worldwide) $25 In-Stock 1/2 Micron Size Diamond Spray (2 ounce bottle) w/ Free Shipping (USA ONLY) $22 In-Stock 1/2 Micron Size Diamond Spray (2 ounce bottle) + USPS 1st Class Mail Int'l (Worldwide) $25 In-Stock 1/4 Micron Size Diamond Spray (2 ounce bottle) w/ Free Shipping (USA ONLY) $22 In-Stock 1/4 Micron Size Diamond Spray (2 ounce bottle) + USPS 1st Class Mail Int'l (Worldwide) $25 In-Stock Hand American Diamond Sprays (0.5-Ounce Portions of Each Grade in Opaque Bottles We Portion) We respond to the requests of many customers; this is the far more sensible choice.  With >400 sprays out of those two ounce bottles, even half an ounce of each grade of diamond spray's likely to last many years for the average straight razor user.  You'll get 1, 1/2, and 1/4 micron sizes, clearly marked, in good quality (USA made) plastic misters.  Shake well before use. Hand American Diamond Spray Sampler w/ Free Shipping (USA/Canada ONLY) $30.25 In-Stock Hand American Diamond Spray Sampler + USPS 1st Class Mail Int'l (Worldwide) $36.50 In-Stock Dovo White & Yellow Strop Pastes don't actually sharpen, but are still valuable strop accompaniments. Dovo White Paste conditions linen of 2-sided strops.  It is very mildly abrasive to help keep razors sharp.  Wipe off any residue from this before moving to leather.  Linen can also 'pill' a bit w/o this in place, but its main aim is as an aid to any preparation surface, and it is brilliant at that. Dovo White Paste w/ Free Shipping (Worldwide) $13 In-Stock (Price When Ordered Alone) Dovo White Paste w/ Free Shipping (Worldwide) $9.75 In-Stock (Price When Ordered w/ Anything Else) Dovo Yellow Strop Paste is conditioning fat for the strop leather.  While neatsfoot oil's its equal on our horsebutt, English Bridle, & cordovan hides, it is best to use this with Dovo's strops-it works really well and other 'strop dressings' don't play as kindly with their tans.  Use extremely sparingly; a wafer thin coat weekly or so is all you'll need forever. Dovo Yellow Paste w/ Free Shipping (Worldwide) $13 In-Stock (Price When Ordered Alone) Dovo Yellow Paste w/ Free Shipping (Worldwide) $9.75 In-Stock (Price When Ordered w/ Anything Else) Dovo Sharpening Pastes, made in 'green' or 'red' designation, are somewhat less aggressive than diamond pastes. After lots of use with them now, we'd characterize them as more natural-feeling honing pastes than diamond pastes, but ultimately less sharp.  That's not a bad thing, though; in many a shaver's view, a smidge less sharpness for a huge gain in smoothness is a great trade when you're dealing from the top. While I personally prefer diamonds followed by chromium oxide if I'm going to use pastes (but I don't anymore, I'll admit...only the coticule and a strop), it is more likely that most average users would prefer the Dovo pastes' feel to the diamonds. The "green" paste (6-micron average nominal particle size), which was developed first for carbon steel surgical applications, is to used with very dull razors. The "red" paste (2-4 micron average particle size) can be used after a few dozen laps on the green paste, or any time a great razor just starts to pull. After the red paste, finish your edge with some chromium oxide (0.5-micron average) or Dovo's black paste. To me, these two products are practically interchangeable. Dovo Green ~6 Micron Paste w/ Free Shipping (USA ONLY) $10 In-Stock Dovo Green ~6 Micron Paste + USPS 1st Class Mail Int'l (Worldwide) $13 In-Stock Dovo Red ~3 Micron Paste w/ Free Shipping (USA ONLY) $9 In-Stock Dovo Red ~3 Micron Paste + USPS 1st Class Mail Int'l (Worldwide) $12 In-Stock Dovo Green & Red Pastes w/ Free Shipping (USA ONLY) $16 In-Stock Dovo Green & Red Pastes + USPS 1st Class Mail Int'l (Worldwide) $19.50 In-Stock The Dovo Red & Black Paste Set is intended as a complete solution for sharpening and maintaining razors, provided one's starting with nice sharp edges that aren't allowed to become too dull.  Just add two stropping surfaces, one for the red sharpening and one for the black finishing paste.  Dovo's 56-195011 cowhide tension strop, already fitted with some red paste, is a natural fit. The red paste has a 2-4 micron particle size average and the feel of a natural product, not the sharper and more aggressive feel of a diamond paste. The black paste's similar to chromium oxide. As soon as you sense your razor's edge falling off a bit, run it on the red paste for a couple of dozen laps, wipe off the residue, and finish on smooth leather rubbed with the black paste. These pastes are soft!  If buying from us in the summer, don't play with it once it arrives; put it in the freezer for a bit.  We will take apart the box and wrap each foil in wax paper and the pair in some cellophane before we ship it, but the heat will affect (but not hurt) them nonetheless. Dovo Red/Black Paste Set w/ Free Shipping (USA ONLY) $11.25 In-Stock Dovo Red/Black Paste Set + USPS 1st Class Mail Int'l (Worldwide) $14.25 In-Stock We must collect sales tax if shipped within Florida. Home Top of Page