Thread: chromium oxide duration

I have watched multiple videos on youtube on how to refresh your straight. I am new to this, and im trying to save some money by not having to rehone all the time since i am a poor, recently graduated college student. Most people use chromium oxide to refresh their blades, however i have heard that it eventually stops working and you will have to move on to something like a naniwa 12k stone. My question is, for how long will the chromium oxide maintain a sharp blade?

It really depends on how well you strop , but it will extend the life, there are those who know more than me , but if your on a tight budget you can have your blade honed or even refreshed by a pro , and it will be cheaper than a good hone and it will be right. Food for thought. Tc

Well, that's a tricky question. I guess the short answer is "until using it doesn't help anymore".

What's going on is that the edge wears away with use and since the edge is like a triangle eventually it can get to the point where a very small particle size like in CrOx cannot bridge the gap anymore, hence the need to refresh on a larger grit.

But the rate at which the edge wears away depends on things like how much you shave, how tough your beard is, how good your shaving technique is, how good you are at stropping, the quality of the steel, etc.

So I think the best answer you'll get will be a ballpark one. I don't refresh with CrOx so I cannot give you first hand advice I'm afraid. And I think the answer will change for you as you gain more experience with using a straight. I know for example that some more experienced users can keep a good edge for up to a year with just stropping alone, whereas some newer users need a refresh after only a matter of weeks or months.

Best thing is to see what you need to do as you go I think.

James.

that is not an easy question to answer due to the variables. Things like how deteriorated the edge was before going to the crox. I think that if you added a good quality barbers hone to the equation and nothing bad happened to the edge the answer is a very very long time. I do not remember who, but someone on this forum said they had been 10 years with a barbers hones and crox. Because I can't remember who the length of time becomes a little questionable, but it is safe to say a very long time. I think if it was just the crox you would have to be very vigilant on the how frequently it was used, and now I am beginning to theorize. Glen did a test as to how long you could strop on crox daily before the edge started to fail but it went on long enough that he stopped the experiment because he hadn't found the answer in a reasonable time frame. I'm going to suggest you experiment with it. Perhaps go with a weekly stropping and see how long it will go. I'm willing to bet you can afford a hone before your edge fails.

yeah i was planning that. I am planning on getting the naniwa 12k but i also want to get the dmt 325 as well. Since they are pricey, the plan is to use crox until i could buy them. It will take a while with school loans and all

If you do a little research on which barbers hones are the finest, like at razor and stone, you can often find them for under $50 on Ebay, less in antique shops, and in the classified every now and then.

Do NOT get all infatuated with pastes and sprays,they can be a great addition to your regimen BUT.
I would never use crox on a blade that needs to see at least a finishing stone first.
When I have an edge that is less than perfect it gets 5 strokes on a shapton 12 K.I can shave easy off that edge,but it is a tad to crisp so it sees 10 on leather with Crox,for me it mellows the edge.
I can keep a blade going for yrs with the above,the bevel is always set,seeing a finish stone refines it.

A barbers hone can be had for $20 or so. That can keep you going a long time. Having said that, they are not all created equal. There is a great database of them at razorandstone.com. So a little research for which brands are "finer" might be a good thing if you are considering that avenue.

i just looked them up on ebay. they are pretty cheap. Do these hones need to be lapped like other stones? also, will they work fine despite the fact the some of them look pretty worn out?

Originally Posted by jmilo

i just looked them up on ebay. they are pretty cheap. Do these hones need to be lapped like other stones? also, will they work fine despite the fact the some of them look pretty worn out?

Barber hones can be lapped like other stones. I would recommend that you do so if and when you purchase one. Draw a grid of lines on the hone with pencil and then lap it. I like to use W/D paper on granite or tile. Lap until the lines disappear. Most barber hones that I have used are pretty stout and once lapped (if necessary) they shouldn't need to be lapped again for a long, long time if used for touch ups.

Frank