Thread: Leather tools

I did use the white Jewelers rouge to on a couple straights. On a Joesph Elliot silver steel blade it worked great, shaved the arm hair, face hair anything that got in its way. It was a really comfortable shave.

I also tried a George Wostenholm Pipe Razor and no matter what I did I dont think it would cut butter. It came off my barbers hone easily cutting the hair on my arm but as soon as it hit the strop it seemed to dull right up.

If you look at the edge it puts a mirror shine on the bevel. Once I get some hones I'm going to try testing it out some more.

Bob

Originally Posted by CactusBob

I did use the white Jewelers rouge to on a couple straights. On a Joesph Elliot silver steel blade it worked great, shaved the arm hair, face hair anything that got in its way. It was a really comfortable shave.

I also tried a George Wostenholm Pipe Razor and no matter what I did I dont think it would cut butter. It came off my barbers hone easily cutting the hair on my arm but as soon as it hit the strop it seemed to dull right up.

If you look at the edge it puts a mirror shine on the bevel. Once I get some hones I'm going to try testing it out some more.

Bob

I have a theory on this I am no expert and I can't prove my theory but to me it makes sense. I have a 12000 grit polishing stone and after using it on either of my blades I know it's sharp and if I try it on arm hair it cuts right through it. (I had BBS arms for a week) However if I try a HHT the hair seems to float right over it without cutting at all. However if I take and strop the blade even just a few passes it will pass HHT no Problem. My theory is that the 12000 grit stone polishes the bevel so well that the hair slips right over it. Then the strop will put microscopic serations on the blade that will "catch the hair and slice right through it. Someday when I have the time I will have to get a microscope to test this theory but until then I know what works.
kbs_74

Originally Posted by CactusBob

I did use the white Jewelers rouge to on a couple straights. On a Joesph Elliot silver steel blade it worked great, shaved the arm hair, face hair anything that got in its way. It was a really comfortable shave.

I also tried a George Wostenholm Pipe Razor and no matter what I did I dont think it would cut butter. It came off my barbers hone easily cutting the hair on my arm but as soon as it hit the strop it seemed to dull right up.

If you look at the edge it puts a mirror shine on the bevel. Once I get some hones I'm going to try testing it out some more.

Bob

I've used some white rouge on 3 straights, 1 Joseph Elliot Best Silver Steel, 1 WM. Greaves&Sons and a W&B Medium size hollow ground. The rouge worked on the Elliot, and didn't do anything favorable on the other two. So it might be the Silver Steel is slightly different than the steel of the other two Sheffield's. Since I don't have a microscope I really haven't had the opportunity to examine the bevel, but the rouge leaves a highly polished edge imho.

I decided to email Tandy about their white rouge, they sent me a copy of the MSDS and this is what it said

SECTION 1. IDENTIFICATION OF THE SUBSTANCE/PREPARATION AND COMPANY
PRODUCT IDENTITY: WHITE ROUGE
COMPANY IDENTITY: THUNDERBIRD SUPPLY CORP

SECTION 2. COMPOSITION/INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS
85-95% ALUMINUM OXIDE

I made a call to Thunderbird and asked about the grit size, (they first had to call someone else) , they told me the best that they could find out was that it is some where between 1 and 5 microns. Must be what they call quality control

Looking on the web I found this Grit to Micron chart that says it could be between 4500 and 14000 grit.
http://www.facetingmachines.com/grit-mesh-micron.shtml
I suppose that each bar could be checked to see what it does under some magnification to see if its useful. Right now it seems my Silver Steel blade is the only one that responds to it.

Bob

Originally Posted by CactusBob

I decided to email Tandy about their white rouge, they sent me a copy of the MSDS and this is what it said

SECTION 1. IDENTIFICATION OF THE SUBSTANCE/PREPARATION AND COMPANY
PRODUCT IDENTITY: WHITE ROUGE
COMPANY IDENTITY: THUNDERBIRD SUPPLY CORP

SECTION 2. COMPOSITION/INFORMATION ON INGREDIENTS
85-95% ALUMINUM OXIDE

I made a call to Thunderbird and asked about the grit size, (they first had to call someone else) , they told me the best that they could find out was that it is some where between 1 and 5 microns. Must be what they call quality control

Looking on the web I found this Grit to Micron chart that says it could be between 4500 and 14000 grit.
http://www.facetingmachines.com/grit-mesh-micron.shtml
I suppose that each bar could be checked to see what it does under some magnification to see if its useful. Right now it seems my Silver Steel blade is the only one that responds to it.

Bob

That makes sense as swivel knives are typically made out of stainless steel of some sort. They also are although sharp, they are not required to shave hair and mine has never been something that I could cut myself on. Althout I did poke myself on the finger once with it but it didn't draw blood. I will say it cut through leather effortlessly though.