Thread: What grind have a chromium oxide paste??

Originally Posted by Lesslemming

You´re right. The only uncertainity that remained for me was,
that I did not see the official JIS list, that costs money to have a look at.

That´s why I said I personally prefer the actual micron size,
because it has the most information (but certainly not all. I wish to know the tolerances: 0.5µm +/- 0.3 or 10% above and 90% below) about the particle.
Still not about the sharpening power and action... but something to work with.

( I just saw a typo, I meant "unLIKE JIS wich stops at 8k (as far as we know) but can be extrapolated to any grit size")

Fair enough!

I can't show you the official list, but Naniwa assures me that this information follows JIS standards.

I wonder why there is Na2O in our Naniwa hones

Concerning getting some CO though...

I ordered a packet from ChrisL in the classifieds. I got in yesterday, and to me it definitely look like enough for at least two strops, and he double bags it in little ziplocs and includes directions with a few different ways to try using it.

I highly recommend it to anyone looking to experiment, and at $4 shipped CONUS, you can't go wrong because it is more than I think I will use in years.

Thanks for that large replay :]

What I wonder about is why the thread starter thinks a finishing paste would be around 600 grit. Are you talking about AINSI sandpaper?

No i talk about a paste what i found on internet shop. Now i looking a good pigment for making a chormium oxiden paste. Last time i found a great guy called ChrisL and i wanna buy that magical powder from him, but from no knowing reson i can`t end the pay pal transaction :/

Then i serch a powder who guys use to make that powder and find a Kremel pigment. And when i read You guys i have a good feeling about that stuff. But tell me whats be beter that pigment or paste buy from the shop??

I bought Chomium Oxide powder from Kremer pigments, and am very happy with it. It is very fine, at 0.3 microns, as stated earlier. Here's order info from the US outlet...

Kremer Pigments
247 West 29th Street
New York, NY 10001
212-219-2394 voice
212-219-2395 fax
Kremer Pigments Inc. NYC
[email protected]

Chromium Oxide powder
100 grams
$7.80 plus $9.50 shipping... $17.30

I also bought the Chromium Oxide "crayon" from Straight Razor Designs and am very happy with it also. 0.5 micron.

As for which is best, actually I am using both... StraightRazorDesigns' 0.5, followed by the Kremer 0.3. Inspection with a microscope, and the hanging hair test, both seem to indicate that there is a definite difference in grit size between the two, and that the Kremer does polish and sharpen a little finer than the 0.5 micron Chromium Oxide. But, truthfully, I can't tell that much difference when shaving. I got a good edge with only the 0.5 micron crayon, and I get a good edge with the 0.3 micron powder as the final polish.

if both the paste and the poweder consist of the same material, chromium oxide, they probably will be very similar, not same, but similar to the extend that you probably will not notice any difference.
The Kremer (not Kremel ) pigments are of ultimate high quality.
In germany they sell 100g for 2.50€ plus 4€ shipping makes not more than 7€
and 100g will be enough to paint a house.

What exactly are you going to do with the paste, finishing a razor?
How did you sharpen it prior to pasting?

Originally Posted by Lesslemming

What exactly are you going to do with the paste, finishing a razor? How did you sharpen it prior to pasting?

I think you are addressing this question to me, LessLemming...

Before pasting, I use a barbers hone. A more detailed response below...

Admittedly, I am outside the honing and sharpening mainstream. I have none of the Norton hones and other stones usually used. I am sharpening my razors "on the cheap" for the moment, since I have only been doing this since July. In the future, I have always said I will move to the "right" way, buying some of the more commonly used stones. However, I am now getting good enough edges with pastes (as the final steps) that I am starting to doubt that I will do anything other than what I am doing now.

Here's my sharpening progression...

- Arkansas hard whetstone (if blade is in very bad shape)
- Barbers hone
- Red Dovo paste (on balsa)
- Black Dovo paste (on balsa)
- 0.5 micron StraightRazorDesigns Chromium Oxide (on balsa)
- 0.3 micron Kremer Chromium Oxide (on balsa)
- 0.25 micron Diamond spray (on balsa)

After experimentation, I may remove one of the last two items, or I may retain them both. (Chromium Oxide crystals are round and don't gouge as deep, hence are better polishers. Diamond gouges deeper, but works quickly to remove metal.)

I use a Radio Shack microscope to check the edge, that it is straight, and that the bevel is polished without deep scratches.

A word about pastes vs hones from someone who admittedly has NO experience with stone hones (like the Nortons)... Privately, and on a thread or two, I have asked several experts why pastes are somewhat in disfavor. I think their answer makes a lot of sense. Summarizing...

(1) Pastes eventually round a cutting edge, while stones do not.
(2) Pastes are not as predictable and consistent in results.
(3) Pastes take longer.

I can't disagree with any of their points. They make logical sense. And, if I was advising anyone how to proceed, I would suggest stones and that they go with the common wisdom on this site. However, if someone can't spend the money on stones... initially, with some provisos and cautions and guidance, I believe pastes can produce a shave ready edge easily.

Somewhat "Contradicting" my previous post about pastes being cheaper...

If you add up what I spent on pastes, I might have been able to purchase the stones I needed and been done with it. However, when I started, I didn't know whether I would continue straight razor shaving. So, I purchased some cheap pastes to experiment with. If I had known from the beginning that this would turn out so well, I would have purchased stones to begin with.

oh actually I was hoping to get a little mor information from cube,
because I still wonder how he got this information "600 might be good for razors"
If there is some misinformation we can easily help him out with that

Still good to read your progression!
I have been experimenting with another nice pigment.
Someone recommended me to try ironoxide.
Kremer sells Pr 101 with an average particle size of 0.09 µm with round shape (they sell different Pr 101 I think).
It is awesome. It puts the smoothest non agressive edges on my blades

I myself had to overcome the disfavor for pastes,
but they are absolutely common in germany.
Nearly everybody uses them.
I didn´t like them, but use the diamond on felt
or ironoxide every now and then.

There is one thing to consider when recommending pastes to a newby:
they are absolutely easy to use!
It´s easyer to get a perfect edge with pastes than on the stones

Sorry to bog things down with my response. I just ordered the Kremer Iron (Ferrous) Oxide yesterday. Good to hear it works well.