Thread: Chromium oxide

I just got a chrome ox stick from SRD last week. Hopefully Lynn or Don will chime in as to it's source and micron size. It looks kinda like the Veritas stuff from the other thread... chrome ox suspended in wax.

Originally Posted by Quick

Is it a significant difference that's noticeable? yes. but it's a matter of preference too.

For me, myself, and I, there is a big difference. It makes the edge really smooth, mimicking the effects of an extremely fine hone, while costing less than the cheapest waterstone.

I'd say CrOx is more of a touchup thing than an added treatment. It's something you might do every couple of weeks or longer in place of a touchup on a finishing hone. I recently tried it. I managed to get one of those edges that felt absolutely "smooth". I'm not sure I liked it. I think I more prefer to feel the edge on my face with just a slight resistance/feedback. I've seen that difference described as the edge being more or less "aggressive".

Again, just me here, but I dig the super duper smoothness of it. If I could easily make the edge yet smoother still, I would.

Since CrOx is used with a strop (pliable surface like linen, leather or balsa wood) it's honing effect not only smooths the edge/bevel but convexes it as well. That may be the reason for the somewhat unique? difference in feel as opposed to using something like a 30K hone?

This is another thing that gets me.... WHY use it with a pliable surface? If you don't want to round your edge, then QUIT using a strop that will round your edge, folks! Get a granite tile, cut it down to a 3x12 piece, cut some printer paper to 3x11, tape the paper to the granite so it's really taut. Apply your chromium oxide to the paper. If you are using light pressure (which you should be) the deformation of the paper around the cutting edge will be so minute that it will be basically as hard as a stone. Now you get the benefits of the chromium oxide without the detriments of the convex edge.

The downside might be that, due to the convexed bevel, a bit more work might be required when it's due for a major touchup. Don't know if that would be a significant amount of incremental work.

Chromium oxide is not such an aggressive or fast cutter that the amount of convexing will be a big deal. If you properly maintain you razor, then a few passes on a 4k should have things back in "perfect bevel land" in a jiffy. If you have used the chromium oxide so much that it's hard to reset the bevel very quickly, then you're doing it wrong.

That's my understanding based on precious little knowledge and experience.

Originally Posted by FloorPizza

I just got a chrome ox stick from SRD last week. Hopefully Lynn or Don will chime in as to it's source and micron size. It looks kinda like the Veritas stuff from the other thread... chrome ox suspended in wax.

Not having ever seen/handled the SRD CrO, I will say that from the pics it looks to be different from the Lee Valley stuff. I would dig a comparison on the SRD CrO vs the HA CrO.

..........

I agree with everything Ben said. Balsa has worked wonderfully well for me with chrome ox and is still my preferred touch up medium. However, when honing, I regularly taped very taught newspaper around my full size Chinese 12k stone and rub dry chrome ox powder into that. It's the last step to do some passes on that flat surface prior to leather stropping. It tunes my edges beautifully.

I think the powder is great because of its versatility. I wouldn't want to apply a liquid to newspaper for stropping. I think that would be bad.

Chris L

Hmmm, I suppose I could be convinced. (Maybe a topic for the advanced honing section?)

If one uses a taut strop then you're basically talking about the compliance of the surface. I would expect this (and the increased angle from the slight bowing) to have more of an effect than a piece of paper on stone. On the other hand, relatively speaking, paper is not all that thin and it is compliant. It also has some "nap" to it which would bring the CrOx in contact. I would not expect paper on stone to be anywhere near a non-compliant stone surface with respect to the range of angle it can contact the bevel.